Wendt and Kühn Spandosen / Splinter Boxes - from Packaging to Collectible
For their 100th Anniversary, Wendt and Kühn revived an almost forgotten art form, hand-decorated Spandosen or Splinter boxes. They are thinner than, yet reminiscent of, Shaker bentwood boxes.
The original Wendt and Kühn splinter boxes were first created 90 years ago. While Grete Wendt focused almost exclusively on the creation of figures, her college friend and company co-founder Grete Kühn used her talent to paint and decorate wonderful wooden boxes - the containers for Wendt and Kühn's figures. With her unmistakable brush strokes and rich imagination, she turned simple wooden containers into exquisite works of art. In all shapes and sizes, from round to oval, even heart-shaped, they were delicately decorated with geometrical, floral tendrils, and folkloric elements.
Grete Kühn's boxes were works of art used for the safekeeping of works of art - one piece of art wrapped in another.
Click here to view Wendt and Kühn's video of a splinter box in the making.
We stock three of these incredible boxes -
And you can special order the others, by pressing their pre-order buttons or by writing us an email with your wishes.
They are such striking works of art as a decorative piece in and of themselves they will command a special place in your home.
And they certainly would be THE place to store your most cherished Wendt and Kühn figures.
Enjoy our Wendt and Kühn Pinterest Board - found here.
The Celebration of Wendt and Kühn's 100th Anniversary - October 3 -11, 2015
Wendt and Kühn's 100th Anniversary has arrived and they are celebrating in Grunhainichen (the home of their workshop) and at their shop in Seiffen from October 3 - 11 - introducing The World Of Wendt and Kühn and special presentations.
Above - a poster of Wendt and Kühn's delightful birthday parade in celebration of their centennial.
In subsequent blog posts, we will continue to highlight many of the special figures made by Wendt and Kühn for the 100th Anniversary collection. You can find them at My Growing Traditions - here
We invite you to enjoy our Wendt and Kühn board on Pinterest.
Wendt and Kühn's Berry Pickers
In celebration of their 100th Anniversary in October 2015, Wendt and Kühn has brought the Berry Picker children back to the collection. 
They were in fact the cornerstone of Wendt and Kühn. After studying at the Royal Saxon School of Applied Art in Dresden from 1907 to 1910, in 1913 Grete Wendt entered a design competition for quality souvenirs organized by the local heritage association "Sächsischer Heimatschutz." Her "Beerenkinder" (Berry Children) figurine group won several prizes, including second prize.
Having received these awards, her Berry Pickers were featured in countless publications. Orders started pouring in. They were filled by specially commissioned toymakers and by working from her parents home and became legendary. Shown above is an image of the award, original drawings, and two sets of the children beside the charming wooden splinter box in which they came. The demand for the Berry Pickers resulted in the establishment in October 1915 with Margarete Kühn, a fellow student from the Dresden School, of the Wendt and Kühn workshop.
Here we are in Maine where the blueberry reigns and we admit that of all the many wonderful Wendt and Kühn figures they hold a dear place in our heart. We are so pleased to add them to our offerings to you - find them here or individually by clicking on the photos below:
Celebrate these pivotal figures by adding them to your Wendt and Kühn collection.
Please enjoy our Pinterest Board on Wendt and Kühn - here
New for 2015 - The Girl with the Cherry Blossom
Wendt and Kühn has given us a delightful new Flower Child (Blossom Kinder) just in time for the 2015 Cherry Blossom Festivals. The Girl with the Cherry Blossom provides a breath of fresh spring air, standing proud, holding her flower.
Add her to your Easter or spring celebrations as a part of your tablescapes, include her in your Wendt and Kühn Flower Parade, or enjoy her alone as the wonderful piece of folk art that she is.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual commemoration of the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the people of Japan, celebrates not only the enduring relationship between the United States and Japan, but also the coming of spring. This year, the festival, on the banks of the Tidal Basin in Washiongton, D.C., is from March 20th to April 12th. In fact, in honor of Japan's gift, the Prunus serrulata, or Japanese Cherry, is commonly celebrated in spring cherry blossom festivals and displays around the country.
Wendt and Kühn's Girl with the Cherry Blossom is even more special as she is the new Flower Child introduced in the year of Wendt and Kuhn's 100th anniversary.
Enjoy our Wendt and Kuhn Pinterest Board.
Wendt and Kühn's Winter Kinder / Winter Children - Now Available and Perfect for a Winter Celebration
The Girl with Sleigh and Boy with Tree were first created by Olly Wendt over 40 years ago based on Olly's twins Hans and Sigrid. She crafted them as a special, personal gift for family and friends.
Now, for the first time they are available to collectors.
The Winter Girl and Boy - the Winter Kinder - include a bit of Erzgebirge history: "The Winter Kinder are setting out to spread a touch of wintery spirit among a large audience. Bundled up in their warm clothes and furnished with holiday accessories, these figurines will definitely make unusual accent pieces." On the Girl's sled, "Next to the star, bread and wine sits a splinter box. In the past the people of the Erzgebirge mountains used such boxes to store small items of value." - Wendt and Kühn
The boy walks alongside carrying a wonderful Christmas tree!
Simply said, they belong together, and just as they brought joy to Olly Wendt's friends, they offer a special remembrance of the history of Wendt and Kühn and the "warmth" of winter for all of us who rejoice in the art of Wendt and Kühn.
In 2015 Wendt and Kühn will be visiting Boston as a part of the Handmade in Germany World Tour. Being in Maine, not far away, we are truly looking forward to attending. Hope you will too!
Enjoy our Wendt and Kühn Pinterest Board here.
Wendt and Kühn Santas and Pixies - Christmas is Here
Wendt and Kühn is especially known for their Classic Angels and Flower Children. Yet, Wendt and Kühn provides us with even more with their charming pieces for creating Christmas displays.
The Large Santa Claus with Toys - the toys come separately, so that you can tuck them into his bag - is 6" tall and more than majestic! He makes a perfect centerpiece for your Christmas table.
Add the Ore Mountain Pines, the Grünhainichen Angels with Tree, and the Angel with Candle to complete the theme.
The Santa Claus with Candles is magical shown here with the Small Angel with a Star and an Angel in a Ring ornaments.
and is wonderful displayed with the Pixies by his side.
Wendt and Kühn Santas are simply essential to Christmas!
New for 2014 - Wendt and Kühn Grünhainichen Angels
This year, 2014, Wendt and Kühn of Germany has added three new Grünhainichen Angels to their collection.
They are left to right, the Angel with the Small Trumpet, the Angel with Gifts, and the Angel with a Little Tree.
Sitting on their gold pedestal, each is 1-1/2" tall and sit perfectly beside the standing 2-1/2" Grünhainichen Angel Bearing Gifts pictured with two of them here:
Mix and match, create your own display, and enjoy the meticulous art of Wendt and Kühn Grunhainichen Angels - the Angels with the Eleven Dot Wings
treasured by collectors all over the world for nearly 100 years.
Click on the images or links above to find them in our shop.
Enjoy our Wendt and Kühn Pinterest Board.
