The fir tree - large - gold-plated

This Christmas tree is made of gilded brass, is 20 cm tall and is by Nordahl Andersen.

The tree is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale ‘The Fir Tree’. The original cut-out is made of two layers of paper and folded in the middle so that it can stand upright, with cute little elves and Christmas geese at the bottom.

The Fairy Tale of the Fir Tree

The fairy tale, written in 1845, is about a fir tree that begins its life as a small sapling out in the forest, where it grows up surrounded by fresh air and the forest animals.

One day, it is felled and taken to a home where it is decorated according to all the rules of the art – for it was now Christmas.

It was warm in the living room and everyone was happy, enjoying the lovely evening. So was the Christmas tree; it revelled in being the centre of attention.

When Christmas Eve was over, the tree was hauled up to the loft, where it thought it would spend the winter until next Christmas.

But alas – when spring came, it was taken out into the yard for the children, who trampled on the Christmas tree and no longer thought it was such a fine sight. As the tree looked out into the garden at all the flowers and then looked at itself, it wished it had stayed in its dark corner in the loft.

“Gone! Gone!” said the poor tree. “If only I’d enjoyed it whilst I could! Gone! Gone!”