I'm finally putting away the last of my Christmas ornaments. I had a big dinner party 2 weeks ago and had left out a few kugel ornaments in blues and silvers to create a wintery tablescape.
So what is a "kugel"?
Martha Stewart shares the history on her website, " In the early 19th century, glassmakers began to silver the balls, coating their hollow interiors with tin, lead, or bismuth-and eventually silver nitrate-to create a metallic finish. Embossed brass caps with rings were added to globes of various sizes in the 1840s, giving birth to the first Christmas tree ornaments, known as kugels (the word means "balls" in German). Most of these were made in Lauscha, Germany, where shapes were expanded to include clusters of grapes, pears, ribbed balls, eggs, and teardrops. Silver, gold, and green, which brilliantly reflected candlelight, were the most popular colors." https://www.marthastewart.com/1532933/history-antique-kugel-christmas-ornaments
I've collected quite a few over the years mostly in red, silver and gold with a few green and blue. Kugel ornaments are quite heavy so be sure to secure them safely when hanging on the tree. I also like to fill large bowls or hang small ones from a chandelier.
