A di Alessi - Giuseppe Christmas Bauble

The mouth blown glass made, hand decorated Joseph Christmas Bauble is part of the Presepe-collection (Italian: Christmas Bauble Crib) by A di Alessi. There it represents one of the classic crib figures, which display the nativity play directly at the Christmas tree.

The tradition of the decorated Christmas tree with large and small coloured baubles out of blown glass dates back to the middle of the 19th century, when a dry period stole the green needles of the pine trees. A glass smithy out of Goetzenbruck had the idea of blowing objects out of glass in order to ornament the tree, hiding the sad looking pine branches. The round shape was the fastest to produce and that is how many colourful Christmas tree baubles emerged, soon becoming a tradition in the most different countries and cultures. Only in 1964, the glass factory in Goetzenbruck stopped the industrial production of the Christmas baubles. The shape of the traditionally made Christmas decoration changed along the years, whereby additional small decors or typical motives covered the Christmas baubles, such as Father Christmas, bells, stars and a sledge.

It was Marcello Jori who created the “Palle Presepe” with his creative soul and irony, causing a small revolution at Alessi with it. He said that there was a Christmas tree at his home every year, but that he envied those who had a crib with vivid figures. Marcello Jori: ”I finally dreamt sometime of an angel, who hanged some foreign baubles at the Christmas tree, the baubles spoke, sang and prayed. Some were holy, stars or animals and one of them, lighting more than others, was Christ.”

Jori’s dream became true. Those, mouth blown glass made, hand decorated baubles exist now. The “Palle Presepe” are the classic crib figures that create a completely new Christmas tree with fantasy and some irony: Maria and Josef with Jesus, ox and donkey, angel, star and the three wise men.