Decorative Arts

Two Hundred Years of Christmas

Thursday, October 18
8:00 PM

Visual presentation and discussion

Decorative arts associated with the Christmas season have been the focus of many families' collecting, even if they do not formally define themselves as "collectors.”      
     Christina Casey and her late husband Richard began actively seeking out holiday decorative art, predominantly Santa figures and blown glass ornaments, created over the past two centuries. The earliest examples in their collection were created in the early 1800s. Countries of origin include Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, the United States and Japan, among others.  Some served as candy containers while others were created as gifts or toys to adorn a Victorian Christmas tree.  Santa has been portrayed in recent years as a solitary figure, whereas in earlier years he was often riding an animal such as a bear, deer or camel. Some are stationary while others move but all are magical.