Christmas Past Exhibit at Cincinnati's
Taft Museum of Art 2006
November 17, 2006-January 7, 2007
The halls and galleries of the Taft Museum of Art are adorned with antique
Christmas decorations and festive greenery, and the Dining Room table is set
for a holiday party with sparkling china, crystal, and silver. Traditional
German feather trees made of wire and dyed goose feathers are trimmed with
rare ornaments from the mid-19th through early 20th century and surrounded
by toys, figures, and dolls. Featured are Belsnickles (papier-mâché Santas),
Kugels (blown-glass ornaments with decorative metal tops), Dresdens
(embossed paper ornaments), paper dolls, and many other beautiful and rare
ornaments on loan from private collections.
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All photos by Tony Walsh
Golden Glow of Christmas Past |
Putz scene is by Darla & Jerry Arnold.
There is a German elastoline castle, homemade cigar
box houses, mostly German figures and animals with a
few that are French and Japanese.
See close up below
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Rare pink feather tree
decorated by
Kathy & Stewart Gregory
with Czechoslovakian
beaded glass ornaments.
There are Japanese candy containers
around the base. |
Blue tree is by
Darla & Jerry Arnold.
All the glass ornaments
are German,
Note the doll head with
applied glass eyes,
the Dresden egg
candy container with a
bird scrap,
Czech beaded bicycle,
and a blue serpent.
At the base are two blue fairy or jubilee lights and
Erzgebirge
miniature wooden toys.
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German nodder is almost 36 inches tall, and at the base are all German
made candy containers.
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Feather tree filled with
'end of day' glass ornaments, wax candles on candle clips and a tinsel star.
Note the picket fence.
from the collection of
Stewart and Kathy Gregory.
Around the base are Snowmen
and many of which
are candy containers.
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Santa nodder holding a feather tree from Rick Finn
also included are holly decorated gift boxes and many antique toys. |
Cotton tree is by Rick Finn and Darla & Jerry Arnold
At the Base are many antique toys.
Note that the tree
is a rare pre-wired
feather tree
with lights at the
branch tips.
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Gift tag tree is by Rick Finn
These are from the early
1900's and note the wonderful
fold-out paper
decorations around the base.
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From the collection of
Kathy & Stewart Gregory.
Shown here is a rare green coated Santa,
blue feathertree
and Coke tray.
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By Kathy & Stewart Gregory, this tree is filled
with
spun glass, tinsel and die cut scraps.
Gift boxes decorate the base of the tree.
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Fruit and vegetable tree by
Darla & Jerry Arnold, All are German glass ornaments,
note the Bauchus grape face
and the rare pea pod ornaments.
At the base are
antique wax fruit baskets
and a early printed stocking.
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Angel ornament - scrap and tinsel |
By Rick Finn, this tree is
decorated with
flower and butterflies,
all glass ornaments. |
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Wonderful collection of snowbabies!
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