Together with the musical box, the vivid narrating of fairy stories and old tales to the accompaniment of pleasant melodies has lost nothing of its fascination. Especially at Christmastime, something of the magic of childhood memories, long believed to be forgotten, reawaken upon seeing the moving scenes.
At first, the musical box was nothing more than a simple toy, a box which, by means of turning a handle could be made to revolve and play a tinkly tune. The melody accompanying the little turning figures of people and animals then still sounded rather dull and lifeless. It was not until around 1930 that the first musical boxes were created.  |  Besides miniature angels, figures from the world of fairy tales and sagas, or scenes from village life, Christ's Nativity became the main Christmas theme for the creative and artistic toy makers from Seiffen and the Erzgebirge. Since then, a whole variety of melodies have been pouring forth from these little works of art, driven from the inside by a filigree, music making mechanism. The little figures in their design, decoration and costume are just as varied as the melodies from within them. Still today, they contribute to the charm of the Erzgebirge musical box and continue to bear witness to the great and creative talents of the craftsmen who make them. |
