Lauscha reflex balls traditional

Long before tinsel, baubles or even cotton wool balls decorated Christmas trees, it was traditional to adorn the green branches well before the start of festivities with treats such as apples and nuts. Not until Christmas Eve were children allowed to loot the tree. But then came a time, legend has it, when the glassblowers of Lauscha (glass blowing has been practised there since 1597) were unable to afford such costly delicacies from afar. Lauscha is nestled into a steep valley in the middle of the well-forested mountain range of the Thüringer Schiefergebirge, just below the ridge of the mountain chain Rennsteig. So to make their families happy nonetheless, the glassblowers of Lauscha created apples and nuts out of glass – introducing the world to glass Christmas tree ornaments.
These tree decorations are mouth-blown over a flame and then immersed in a silver solution on the inside to give them a mirror finish. In around 1880, the Lauscha glassblowers started indenting or grooving the surface of the still hot glass ornaments to enhance the sparkly mirror effect: By using a plaster stamp with engraved decoration, a so-called "Reflexform" (i.e. a reflecting hollow form) is pressed into the blown and reheated bauble. These handcrafted reflective ornaments from Thuringia have been made according to this tradition. The baubles are hung up on an attached metal eyelet, just as they were in around 1900.

Long before tinsel, baubles of all kinds or even cotton balls decorated the Christmas tree, it was the custom to hang the green branches before the feast with nibbles such as apples and nuts. On Christmas Eve, the tree could only be plundered. Now it happened at the time, so the legend tells, that the Lauscha glassblowers could not afford such expensive treats. In order to still be able to please their families, they formed apples and nuts out of glass - and thus brought the glass Christmas tree ornaments into the world.
The tree ornaments are mouth-blown before the flame and then mirrored from the inside by dipping the pieces into a silver solution. To further enhance the shiny mirrored effect on the surface, Lauscha glassblowers began in the 1800s to draw or engrave a reflection into the still-hot glass ornaments. This handmade reflex jewelry from Thuringia is also in this tradition. The balls are hung on a metal eyelet, as it was common around 1900.