The Origins of Beeswax
Beeswax is the oldest wax in the world. It was first used for creating decorations in the 1600’s in Germany where it was discovered that when the wax was melted and poured into a mold used for gingerbread cookies, it would reproduce the most minute details of the mold.
In the 16th century at Christmas time, German bakers traditionally made lebkuchen (gingerbread) and pressed it into ornate wooden molds depicting religious scenes. Since honey was used in the gingerbread, it is thought that while waiting for the cookies to come out of the oven, the bakers may have found the leftover beeswax could be manipulated by hand and pressed into the cookie molds, resulting in an image that could very well be used for a Christmas decoration. The gingerbread makers who produced these ornaments became known as chandlers, or wax workers.
In the late 17th century, the German people brought their art form to eastern Pennsylvania. Colonial women would gather honey from wild beehives found in the wooded areas. As the craft evolved, more elaborate beeswax ornaments were often painted or gilded.
Today, beeswax is used to make Christmas ornaments almost identical to those crafted hundreds of years ago in Germany. The color of the wax figures varies, depending on the type of flower from which the bee collected the nectar. The molds are now made of metal and plastic, as well as wood. Over time, all beeswax develops the dull mottling known as bloom. There are antique beeswax ornaments in German museums today that are over 300 years old.
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