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December, 2019 The Antique Shoppe Page 23
ORNAMENTS Antique, mercury glass angel for for them is difficult. Exposure to air causes the
Continued from Page 20 hanging on Christmas tree. mercury solution, the silvered inner surface, to
While they may not have been the first inventors oxidize, making it flake off inside the ornament.
(there is evidence that mercury glass production began Many of the earliest mercury glass Christmas
in Bohemia, Germany) Edward Varnish and Frederick ornaments have flake damage in some capacity.
Thomsom, of England, patented a technique for John W. Keefe, curator of the mercury
silvering glass in 1849. Although England led the glass collection at the New Orleans Museum
Industrial Revolution, Germany was the undisputed of Art suggests that the best way to retard
leader in production of toys and Christmas items oxidization is to plug a mercury glass
well into the 20th century. ornament’s neck with malleable wax and allow
The older, mercury glass it to harden. This will keep future air out of
Christmas ornaments, the ornament, and help arrest
from Bohemia, are flaking.
also decorated on the And, as with all
outside with a variety favored antiques,
of artistic techniques, mercury glass
including Christmas ornaments
enameling, have been reproduced
etching, and sold as antiques.
painting, New mercury glass
and surface normally lacks
engraving. double walls
Decoration, and the solid
Mercury glass bell ornament from even damaged bottoms are visually different from antique
West Germany, circa 1950s, that decoration, mercury glass items. Still, ornaments can
is valued at $24.
should never be easily be “silvered” from the top, making
removed from a identification of original or reproduction
mercury glass ornament. ornaments difficult or impossible to ascertain,
Authentic, mercury glass Christmas ornaments especially for a novice collector.
are still commonly available at estate sales, antique Santa Claus mercury glass Antique mercury glass “Girl”
markets, and on the Internet auction sites such as Christmas ornament from Christmas ornament with candle clip
that is valued at $150.
eBay, so finding them is relatively easy, but caring Germany that is valued at $125.

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