2020 annual ornament
The Angel of Peace
The Wendell August Forge 2020 Annual Ornament stands on more than four decades of tradition and made-in-America craftsmanship. It’s a gift that, through quality design, symbolizes and illustrates its particular year, whether it’s a new addition to an ongoing collection, a commemorative item, or an ornament with a story you’ll be able to tell years down the line. It is truly a gift that means more.
As 2020’s holiday ornament, The Angel of Peace, embodies the collective forces of unity and love, and how these aspects bring others together, regardless of background or beliefs, and strengthen those social bonds. Decades ago, this Wendell August Forge Annual Ornament was conceptualized by artist Alex Konahin, while Len Youngo engraved the majestic design into aluminum, bronze, copper, gold-plated and silver-plated forms.
LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH, AND LET IT BEGIN WITH ME.
"My grandchildren have been getting the original Christmas aluminum ornament every year since they were born. They are now 28, 24, 18, 14. When they leave home for whatever reasons, they will have their own whole sets to take with them and add on to them for their own children. They treasure their ornaments."
– Joyce W
Designed by international artist Alex Konahin and hand engraved into metal by Master Die Engraver, Len Youngo, the Annual Ornament by Wendell August is in its 41st year. Whether a grandma creating a tradition for their grandchildren, or a coworker wanting to give something special, the Annual Ornament is truly a gift that means more.
"My Mother started getting ornaments for my children when they were quite small, when my daughter had children she asked if I would carry on the tradition for her children. Which I have. So we now have 2 generations with memories." – George C.
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Nearly a Century of Craftsmanship
While the Annual Christmas Ornament stretches back nearly half a century, Wendell August Forge dates back to 1923, when coal-mine owner Wendell McMinn August happened to notice the quality and detail a blacksmith from his mine put into the door latches created for August’s home. Yet, while the Pennsylvania company has grown into the largest American-based forge, its principles aren’t compromised. Beauty, individuality and signature details run through each item, be it ornate metalware, a holiday ornament or another gift. As a stamp of authenticity, each piece features a hammered craftsman’s mark on the back. The artistry that goes into all Wendell August Forge ornaments and keepsakes differentiates them from something you’d pick up at a gift shop. Each seem more personal and reflects a touch and bygone approach that are almost absent from most modern ornaments, dishware and décor.
How Wendell August Forge Creates Ornaments
This is no assembly line. Instead, Wendell August Forge’s artisans begin by hand-engraving the artist’s design into a steel die. Then, the process of repoussé — or shaping a metal by hammering it from the reverse — creates a low-relief silhouette. After the metal is formed, several techniques involving a coal-fired forge give the ornament color.
If the ornament is made of pewter, artisans hand-sculpt the design into clay to create a mold. Then, melted pewter is poured inside, before it’s cooled to form a three-dimensional version of the original model.
Celebrate the start of a new year and decade with the Wendell August Forge Annual Ornament. Update your collection with one of these unique, handcrafted commemorative pieces that’s created and manufactured entirely in the U.S.