Snow baby
Encyclopedia
A snow baby is a small figurine
that depicts some aspect of the Christmas
holidays or of winter sport
s. The traditional snow baby is made of unglazed porcelain
(bisque
) and shows a child dressed in a snowsuit; the suit itself is covered in small pieces of crushed bisque, giving the appearance of fallen snowflakes. However, many other sorts of figures are typically associated with these snowy children: Santas, elves
and gnome
s, carolers, animals such as penguins and polar bears, adult sledders and skaters, snowmen, and even houses and Disney characters. Collectors in the United States and Europe will sometimes decorate for the holidays using these figures to create winter scenes of varying degrees of complexity.
Although classical snow babies stand under 2 inches high and were often used in England as cake decorations, there are many variations. Some of the oldest types, made in Germany during the decade beginning about 1905, ranged from 4 to 13 inches tall and were carefully painted by master artisans. Other babies created during this early period were crafted with similar attention to detail. With the onset of World War I, production stopped; when it resumed sometime around 1922, the snow babies were more hastily made, less finely detailed in their porcelain and finish. Yet these newer pieces show children, Santas, and elves in remarkably imaginative poses: a child feeds a seal from a baby bottle; Santa drops toys from an airplane; two dwarves dance atop a psychedelic mushroom. The variations are nearly endless: one estimate puts their number at well over 2000.
Just before World War II, Japan began to produce snow babies, though they were generally of a lesser quality than those made in Germany. In the late 20th Century, a company called Department 56
began producing snow babies in Taiwan.
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
that depicts some aspect of the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holidays or of winter sport
Winter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
s. The traditional snow baby is made of unglazed porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
(bisque
Bisque (pottery)
Bisque porcelain is unglazed, white ceramic ware Examples include bisque dolls.Bisque also refers to "pottery that has been fired but not yet glazed...
) and shows a child dressed in a snowsuit; the suit itself is covered in small pieces of crushed bisque, giving the appearance of fallen snowflakes. However, many other sorts of figures are typically associated with these snowy children: Santas, elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
and gnome
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s, carolers, animals such as penguins and polar bears, adult sledders and skaters, snowmen, and even houses and Disney characters. Collectors in the United States and Europe will sometimes decorate for the holidays using these figures to create winter scenes of varying degrees of complexity.
Although classical snow babies stand under 2 inches high and were often used in England as cake decorations, there are many variations. Some of the oldest types, made in Germany during the decade beginning about 1905, ranged from 4 to 13 inches tall and were carefully painted by master artisans. Other babies created during this early period were crafted with similar attention to detail. With the onset of World War I, production stopped; when it resumed sometime around 1922, the snow babies were more hastily made, less finely detailed in their porcelain and finish. Yet these newer pieces show children, Santas, and elves in remarkably imaginative poses: a child feeds a seal from a baby bottle; Santa drops toys from an airplane; two dwarves dance atop a psychedelic mushroom. The variations are nearly endless: one estimate puts their number at well over 2000.
Just before World War II, Japan began to produce snow babies, though they were generally of a lesser quality than those made in Germany. In the late 20th Century, a company called Department 56
Department 56
Department 56 is a manufacturer of holiday collectibles, ornaments and giftware, known for their lit Christmas village collections and their Snowbabies collection. It is owned by Enesco.-History:...
began producing snow babies in Taiwan.