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New for 2013 Wendt and Kühn Angels

Posted on November 29, 2013 | 0 Comments

My Growing Traditions offers two new Angels introduced by Wendt and Kühn in 2013.

A Marguerite - Snowflake Angel working hard in Santa's workshop 

creating a doll.  Given the diminutive size of the Marguerite Angels (1.5 inches tall), the cakes, angels, dolls, jumping jacks, rocking horses, etc. that they hold and carry are incredibly small. Extraordinary skill is required to create these delightful figures. The daisy chain garland gives the Marguerite Angels their name - Marguerites being a small delicate daisy flower. Their daisy crowns were once made of tin. When tin became scarce, in the 1940s, Wendt and Kühn turned to a delicate embossed cardboard for the daisy garland. 

And, a Classic Angel (2.5" tall)

with Teapot and Flower. At their workshop in Grunhainichen, Germany, Wendt and Kuhn employs 155 workers.  

Eighty of them are painters, but only four of those 80 artisans paint faces. They have a very special hand. 

You may enjoy our Pinterest board on Wendt and Kuhn angels.

Posted in Angels, German Christmas, Wendt and Kühn

Emil Helbig Exhibit at the Seiffen Toy Museum - and yes, we carry their wonderful folk art

Posted on November 27, 2013 | 0 Comments

If, by any chance, you plan to travel to Germany before the 4th of May 2014, make a side-trip to Seiffen and their Toy Museum.  From 16 November 2013 and 4 May 2014, the Toy Museum is holding a special exhibit of the work of the Emil Helbig Workshop in Grunhainichen. Founded 80 years ago, the Helbig Workshop is one of the oldest existing wood working workshops (Schnitzwerkstatten) in the Erzgebirge and considered one of its finest.

A graduate of the Dresden Arts and Crafts School in 1919, Helbig worked at the Meissen porcelain factory where he was discovered by Professor Alwin Seifert, the director of the "State Toy School." Helbig founded his own very special workshop in Grunhainichen in 1933. The exhibit at the Toy Museum includes many pieces that have never before been seen by the public.

We proudly carry their nativity, from the Mary, Joseph, and Jesus (shown here) to a full set of other nativity figures

and many of their Christmas ornaments, this angel being only one of them. Visit here to see more delightful Helbig Christmas ornaments.

We look forward to carrying more and more Helbig folk art over the years.  Let us know if there are specific pieces you are interested in.

Posted in Angels, Emil Helbig, Erzgebirge, German Christmas, German Folk Art, Nativities

Wendt and Kühn 2013 Eleven Dot Post

Posted on November 04, 2013 | 0 Comments

Once a year Wendt and Kühn publishes their Eleven Dot Post - the magazine from their Workshops in Grunhainichen, Germany.

We thought you would enjoy reading this special publication celebrating the classic Wendt and Kühn Angels. 

Click on the image above for a copy of the 2013 edition.

You can also find a copy of it posted on our website.

My Growing Traditions carries a special Christmas selection of Wendt and Kuhn Angels.

Posted in Angels, German Christmas, German Folk Art, Wendt and Kühn

We now carry Wendt and Kühn Angel Orchestra Ornaments

Posted on December 04, 2012 | 0 Comments

This year we have added to our offerings Christmas ornaments from several German workshops.  The Wendt and Kühn classic Orchestra Angels from Grunhainichen, Germany, in the Erzgebirge are a favorite.

We first discovered the clip-on Orchestra Angels in the 1970s in a wooden basket sitting on the floor in front of the check-out counter at a Crate and Barrel.  There in that basket they lay in a bit of a heap, one atop the other.  My first impression was how undignified for such exquisite, classic Angels created in Germany.  Each one of them was distinctly a work of art.  Yet, this was during the period of the Soviet Union, and they were made, of course, in East Germany.  At that time, the workshops of the Erzgebirge were still allowed to create their traditional items, but individual ownership was quashed under the auspices of the equivalent of collectives. Interestingly, we spoke with a customer recently who had also found the Erzgebirge hand-shaved trees (Spanbaum) in a basket on the floor of Crate and Barrel.  At least Crate and Barrel kept us supplied.  Now we stock both the trees and 15 of the most classic clip-on Angel orchestra instruments:

To see all 15, click here:  Wendt and Kuehn Orchestra Clip-On Angels.

They make a special addition to anyone's tree, especially to commemorate a member of your household who enjoys playing a musical instrument.

Posted in Angels, German Christmas, German Folk Art, Wendt and Kühn