Silent Night in Bethlehem

There are many depictions of nativity scenes all over the world. In the 18th century, however, making nativity scenes became increasingly popular among the people living in the German mountains. The first figurines from the western Erzgebirge had a rather oriental appearance. Later, the figurines got a more local appearance, sometimes even with elements from mining life. Today, Christmas figurines are part of our product selection. You will find them on candle arches, music boxes and our fine pyramids. The combination of various kinds of carefully worked woods adds to the fascination of these Christian motives. Our new column pyramid is very special, due to its modern design and remarkable construction.

When you hear the word “pyramid”, most people think of the Egyptian pyramids first. Obviously, the pyramids from the Erzgebirge are different because parts of them can move. The hot air rising from the candles, or the synchronous motor, in case of a pyramid with electric candles, causes the fans and therefore the tiers to turn. And with the tiers, sets of lathe-turned or carved figurines turn quietly while the candles give a warm light. The people who made the first pyramids had been miners, so they were probably inspired by the horse-driven winches they knew from the mines. In the beginning, the pyramids were always colored in green, white and red, and had only one tier. Later, pyramids with several tiers and in the natural colors of the wood appeared from many workshops, including ours.

What makes our pyramids so fascinating is the combination of local and foreign types of wood, also the special crown top that has become a distinct feature of Müller pyramids.