Lauscha glass hummingbird traditional

The hummingbird's flying skills are unique - in buzz flight at around 90 wing beats per minute, it can even fly sideways and backwards - and its physical performance is equally incredible: its heart beats about 500 times a minute. This little hummingbird may not be buzzing, but it is bobbing on a gold-colored metal feather. In the festively decorated Christmas tree, it shines above all with its shimmering metallic plumage, to which its living relative owes the nickname "flying jewel".

The Lauscha glassblowers used to call the figurative glass ornaments, which were blown into two-part negative molds "before the lamp". Today, as then, the lamp is the gas burner, whose flame keeps the glass viscous and malleable. And the molds that are used are also the same as 100 or 150 years ago. They are usually made of ceramic and must be handled with care, because in order to preserve them - and not overheat them in use - the molds must be gently cooled down again at regular intervals. Thus, no more than 150 figures or ornaments can be blown in one go. Only the starting material is different than in the past, because instead of glass tubes drawn specifically for this purpose are now used prefabricated flasks of colorless soda-lime glass.

Animal figures and especially birds as allegories of human characteristics traditionally found their place on the Christmas tree. According to the narrative, it should be symbolically at least one male and one female bird that meet. Quite handily, however, the compact bird body is simply very well suited to being blown into molds. To one side of the glass bulb, the fine bird's beak can then be freely extended, and to the other, the tail feather can be attached. This almost always consisted of cut glass silk, only in the 20th century real bird feathers became fashionable.

This product is an example of genuine handicraft; therefore, minor deviations in size and colour may occur.