Gablonz Star
Material: Glass beads, wire, glass tubes
Size: 9 cm high, Ø 5,5 cm
Age: around 1930
Origin: Czech, Gablonz
Condition:
Condition is good
Description:
A decorative Christmas ornament from Gablonz, made around 1930 from glass beads and wire. At the centre of this six-pointed star sits a large silvered glass ball, framed by red glass tubes. Teardrop-shaped glass beads arranged in pairs form the star’s points, each finished with a small round bead. The wired construction gives the ornament its delicate shape. The silvering shows age-related changes and a naturally developed patina, adding to the charm of this vintage Christmas decoration. A collectible example of Gablonz glass bead craftsmanship and a lovely addition to a Christmas tree or traditional goose-feather tree. Guaranteed old and authentic – not a reproduction.
History of the production of Gablonz glass bead jewelry
The production of Gablonz glass bead jewelry has a long tradition. The historiography began around 1550 in Gablonz / Sudetenland (today's Czech Republic) and developed in connection with the jewelry and glass industry. At that time, the first glassworks were built and from these, glass grinding shops. In the countless Gablonz family businesses, the beads were blown up from glass tubes in front of an oil lamp with bellows reinforcement, or later with a type of Bunsen burner. This is how the "freehand beads" were blown up by hand without any shaping aids. Later, the glass tubes were blown up into "shaped beads", again in front of the "lamp", using a bead forming machine developed in this region. Father and grandfather were usually responsible for blowing up the beads. Mother and grandmother's busy hands then strung this bead material on wire in certain formations.
