The passion for antique Christmas ornaments is part nostalgia, part decorative. One of the most highly-sought-after types of ornaments is the kugel, because it is a testament to both qualities. The word kugel means “sphere” or “ball” in German; kugel ornaments were heavy glass balls made in Germany from the mid 1800s until the early 1900s, and they were popular in America’s Victorian households.

“Kugels started coming to America with Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants in the 1850s and 1860s,” says Arthur Schwerdt (e-mail:augfarm8@verizon.net), an author and dealer whose shop, The August Farmhouse, is located in Cape May Court House, New Jersey. “But it was F.W. Woolworth who went to Europe and arranged for the manufacture of large quantities of kugels for sale in his stores in the 1890s.”

The most common colors for kugels were gold, light blue, and silver. Unusual colors include cobalt blue, cranberry red, purple, and teal. While spheres were the most common shape, kugels were also made in fruit shapes, such as pears or grape clusters.

The price for a typical 5-inch-diameter antique kugel is $50 to $100, with large or unusual examples running as high as $350, according to Schwerdt. Although reproduction blown-glass ornaments abound, Schwerdt says the heavy weight of a kugel is one sign of authenticity. “Also, the metal part on top of a kugel is embedded in the glass, not removable like later glass balls,” he adds.

For more information about kugels, check the Web site of The Golden Glow of Christmas Past, a collectors club. A good reference book is Christmas Ornaments, Lights & Decorations by George Johnson, a three-volume set (Collector Books).