Michael Garland (American, B. 1952) "Placing the Star on the Christmas Tree" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Illustration Board.

Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.

This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 32c Placing the Star stamp issued October 8, 1996.

The festive tradition of trimming the Christmas tree originated in 16th century Germany. Decorations consisted mostly of delicious sweets that filled homes with the wonderful aromas of spiced apples, sugar cookies, gilded nuts and candied dates. Other decorations included miniature figurines representing shepherds, as well as a variety of colored paper flowers. The custom of tree decorating was introduced to England in 1841, when the royal family -- Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert -- celebrated the holidays around a gigantic tree covered with elegant wax tapers and sweet treats. Edible ornaments continued to be the primary trimming until 1860, when the Germans began to create glass Christmas decorations. Modern tree ornaments come in a variety of designs, such as trumpets, angels, doves and holly berries, as well as small toys, candy canes, tinsel and glittering garland. However, of all the types of decorations used for the Christmas tree, the star perhaps best symbolizes the spiritual meaning of the holiday. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, a star led the wise men to the Holy Child. Christ is referred to in the Bible as "the bright and morning Star" and "the Light of the World." The star continues to be an important symbol throughout the world during the Christmas season . A European tradition concerning the star takes place on Christmas eve when bands of "star singers" walk through the streets singing Christmas carols and carrying poles topped with star-shaped lanterns.

Image Size: 14 x 12 in.
Overall Size: 17 x 15 in.
Unframed.
(B15544)

- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.

- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.

- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.

- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.

- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com

- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.

- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.

- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.

17 x 15 in