Girl with Angel Vintage Style Russian Christmas Spun-Cotton Ornament 14 см (5"). Brand new. 100% Hand made. It is in excellent condition. ? In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German towns, to provide everything from gifts, food and more practical things such as a knife grinder to sharpen the knife to carve the Christmas Goose! At these fairs, bakers made shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments for people to buy as souvenirs of the fair, and take home to hang on their Christmas Trees. The best record we have is that of a visitor to Strasbourg in 1601. He records a tree decorated with "wafers and golden sugar-twists (Barleysugar) and paper flowers of all colours". The early trees were biblically symbolic of the Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden. The many food items were symbols of Plenty, the flowers, originally only red (for Knowledge) and White (for Innocence). Two more ornaments can be traced to the Middle Ages as well. Medieval mystery plays, designed to entertain the masses while teaching them Christian doctrine, often featured "paradise trees" decorated with apples. Apples and other fruits made their way onto Christmas trees quite early, first in natural forms and later made from marzipan, glass, and other materials. Mystery play trees also featured unconsecrated Communion wafers, representing the antidote to the forbidden fruit. Wafers appeared on early Christmas trees, too. Cotton pressed (or spun) ornaments originated from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Austria and later from Japan and were used to decorate goose feather trees. They were made by creative artisans in a cottage industry. They were made by spinning cotton and cellulose together. Today antique spun cotton ornaments are highly collectible. A figure that measures 2-3" takes several hours to complete. Artisans created spun cotton items in many forms. The most common food items were apples, pears, oranges and turnips. More difficult items include tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, strawberries, cherries, carrots and grapes. Some items are dusted with mica. Other examples took on holiday forms of elves, angels, and snowmen. Additionally, you may find spun cotton animals and people. When you purchase the Spun Cotton Ornament, you are receiving a piece of history!