Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck — The Art of a Timeless Christmas
Handcrafted in Thuringia | Introduced to The BON TON Christmas Market
Every holiday season has its own magic, but few evoke the heart of Christmas like Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck.
New to The BON TON Christmas Market, these ornaments are not simply decorations. They are the embodiment of tradition, mouth-blown glass treasures handcrafted in Germany, made exactly as they were more than a century ago.
Each piece feels like a memory brought to life: delicate, shimmering, and alive with the spirit of Christmas past.
A Tradition Born in Thuringia
The story of Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck begins in Lauscha, a small town in the Thuringian Forest often called the birthplace of the glass Christmas ornament. It was here, in the early 1800s, that glassblowers first began shaping glass into stars, fruits, and angels — creating what would become a worldwide symbol of the holiday season.
Today, Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck carries that heritage forward. Each ornament is mouth-blown using restored 19th-century molds, many of which have been passed down through the generations of a single glassblowing family now in its third century of practice. These molds are works of art in themselves, holding the imprint of countless Christmases gone by.
Craftsmanship in Its Purest Form
Every ornament begins as molten glass, shaped carefully by hand and then silvered, painted, and patinated in the traditional style. The process requires time, skill, and precision — every stroke of color applied with the same care that artisans used more than a hundred years ago.
Once painted, the pieces are finished with classic iron caps, completing the nostalgic look and ensuring authenticity down to the smallest detail. No two ornaments are ever exactly alike. Each carries subtle variations that mark the hand of the maker, giving every piece the individuality of true craftsmanship.
A Collection for the Heart and Home
Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck includes ornaments in a wide range of historical forms: birds, baubles, fruits, pinecones, Santa figures, and traditional motifs that once hung from trees across Germany and Austria.
The colors are rich yet refined, gold, ivory, crimson, and forest green, hues that reflect candlelight and sparkle beautifully among fresh branches.
These are ornaments designed to be treasured and passed on. They bring warmth and authenticity to the tree, creating a sense of continuity and grace that modern decorations rarely achieve.
Collectors will find much to love here, as many of these designs are revived from original 19th-century molds, faithfully reproduced to preserve their beauty and charm.
The Spirit of Nostalgia
To hang a Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck ornament is to connect to something enduring — to the wonder of the first glass-blown ornaments, to family stories, to the artistry of human hands.
They belong to a time when craftsmanship was devotion, and when beauty was made to last.
At BON TON goods, we believe the holidays should be filled with objects that tell stories and create memories. Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck embodies that philosophy perfectly, a union of artistry and tradition that feels at home beside antique treasures, Astier de Villatte porcelain, and Trudon’s glowing tapers.
An Heirloom for Generations
Each year, as you unwrap these ornaments, you’ll find that they hold a new kind of beauty, the subtle patina of age, the recollection of holidays past, the anticipation of celebrations to come.
They are gifts to the future, made with the same care and craftsmanship that once filled the glassworks of Lauscha with light and color.
These are not ornaments you purchase to fill a tree. They are keepsakes, each one made to bring joy, to hold meaning, and to remind us why the act of decorating a tree still feels sacred.
Explore Nostalgie Christbaumschmuck at The BON TON Christmas Market →