My parents were avid travelers and explorers, and they always bought Christmas ornaments in countries where they were stationed. Their tree held glass ornaments from Czechoslovakia, wooden turnip-domed churches from Germany and strings of bells from the Far East.
This is also a toy, made in Vietnam.
This is a lovely Japanese ornament, though it wasn't intended as a Christmas tree decoration.
I followed my parents example and through the years have added items to my tree that were just as much about remembering life experiences as they were about finding a decoration. This is a little angel from Mexico, only about three inches tall. It's clay that was fired black, and I painted it gold.
I found this coral while walking on an airstrip on Wake Island, in 1965. It would look interesting on an end table, but it's always lived on my Christmas tree. And at Christmastime, I remember a particular day in 1965 . . .
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More wonderful ornaments! These are certainly unique and different. I love the vivid colors and graphic lines of the Japanese baby's ball. And I hope we'll get to see your Christmas tree real soon.
ReplyDeleteLoi
PS - I like how your images are cropped....without a border / background.
Thanks, Loi - I spend a lot of time lightening or removing backgrounds in Adobe PhotoShop.
DeleteInteresting that there are two kinds of souvenir ornaments here, those made as ornaments but bought during travels, and those which are natural souvenirs, or made for other purposes, and pressed into extra service.
ReplyDeleteSo many Chinese good luck charms are in the form of small hanging decorations. They could certainly be used as tree ornaments, although I am not sure that an entire tree of them would be successful.
--Road to Parnassus
Hi, Jim - I really like the idea of ojects pressed into extra service as ornaments.
DeleteI didn't put up a tree at my first house, and so one night when I was away, a bunch of friends got a key from my brother and secretly put up a tree with lights. You can imagine how surpised I was when I came home late in the evening! I didn't have access to my ornaments, but spent the early morning hours decorating with whatever was around the house — mostly spools of thread and dining utensils. That might sound very weird, but the tree was charming, and it's still a warm memory.
Dear Mark - as Loi mentions I enjoyed seeing how well you presented these tree decorations. I particularly like the Japanese ornament with its tassel nonchalantly swinging, very beautifully captured.
ReplyDeleteThe histories behind all of your decorations are good to know, even if you weren't present when some of them were bought, they have now become part of your own history.
I saw a tree on another blog yesterday, and it was decorated with small sea shells with a hole drilled into them and hung on ribbon. It look really effective.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteI like the idea of all-natural tree decorations (and as you know, I'm in just the spot to get my own shell ornaments, including sand dollars). Maybe next year . . .
Ahha Mark, I see that you caught the gilding bug (the Mexican angel that used to be black). Your ornaments are the most charming and unusual collection of treasures.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gina — I've done my share of gilding — you're not the only one! :o)
DeleteWhat treasures, Mark. Thanks, as always, for sharing them with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvette!
DeleteI love this mix-and the idea of taking things and adorning the tree with them. I always add my grandmother's demitasse cups to the tree-wiring them on-along with some reticules-etc. we are only limited by our imagination. pgt
ReplyDeleteDear Gaye - I can imagine how delightful a tree with demitasse cups could be.
DeleteThe story of the Greek icon is that my parents were in the back seat of the cab, and my mother mentioned that the icon was as colorful as a Christmas tree. And then my parents looked at each other knowingly, and set about finding a duplicate for their tree.
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this wonderful assembly of souvenirs! I love that you've collected special objects from your parents' travels, evidence of a life very well spent, and use these to decorate your tree. It makes the whole operation so much more meaningful, what I call a "thick" experience. These yearly walks down memory lane are the most precious part of the holidays--thank you for sharing your collection and reminding us to do the same!
Warm regards,
Erika
Dear Erika - Just as I wonder how clients of certain designers can jettison their belongings and start anew, I wonde about trees that change style from year to year, but that's just me. I see value in a continuum that reflects a history.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable post, and beautifully presented. I admire your graphic abilities! In a former life I, too, collected souvenir ornaments. However, once I married Boy, who has decided views on such things, they were banished. A small price to pay, though, for the pleasure of his company.
ReplyDeleteAnd who could possibly argue with that!?
DeleteThe chinese ornament can also make a great Christmas tree decoration because of its colorful appearance. That angel is also good. Thanks for sharing ideas!
ReplyDeleteI also share some of the best Christmas tree decorating ideas that hopefully you may find useful as well when you stop by. Have fun on Christmas!
Anne Walker