Grape Basket

Grape Basket is a retired ornament from Merck Family’s Original Old World Christmas Collection which was made in Germany. This retired ornament is new and in mint condition. 

Nestled on top of a bed of moss, in a real wicker basket, are three miniature grapes in red, purple, and green. The ornaments are made of blown-glass, were painted by skilled German artisans, and topped with the star cap trademark, signifying their authenticity as heirloom ornaments created by Inge-Glas.

The individual grape ornaments are glued in place and are not intended to be separated from the basket. It measures approximately 2 ½”

Grape ornaments were symbols of friendship. Not only was the giving of a grape ornament a German pledge of friendship, it was also symbolic of sharing a friendly glass of wine. The German countryside was dotted with vineyards nestled among steep hillsides. Young men carefully made their way along curving little cobblestone paths in search of succulent vine-ripened grapes. The grapes were later shared with friends in the form of a perfectly-aged bottle of Riesling or other German vintage.