Name/Title
Chocolate Mold of Santa ClausContext
In the NCHM’s Adams Collection of Christmas decorations you find numerous depictions of Saint Nicholas, as well as his better-known counterpart Santa Claus. In the Dining Room you can currently view three antique metal chocolate molds in the shape of this legendary Christmas figure.
The roots of the American Santa Claus are based on folklore traditions surrounding the figure of Saint Nicholas (270-343), a fourth century christian bishop from the maritime city of Myra (located in modern-day Turkey). Among others, the Saint is the Patron of Children, Merchants, Sailors and Fishermen. Dutch settlers are known to have introduced the legend and customs of Saint Nicholas (in Dutch “Sinterklaas”) to New Amsterdam (modern New York City). The tradition of Saint Nicholas has undergone a variety of changes through the ages and throughout the world. His legendary habit of secret gift-giving inspired the traditional figures of Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and Santa Claus.
Iconographically, Saint Nicholas is usually depicted as an elderly man with a fluffy white beard. As a bishop, he wears the insignia of his office. One of the Museum’s chocolate molds depicts this image of Saint Nicholas. Indeed, he wears a bishop’s vestment, a mitre, and holds a crozier.
The image of Santa Claus with round belly, pointed cap, and white fur-trimmed red coat was highly influenced by the 19th century poem titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, 1823). In the 20th century, advertisements created by the Coca-Cola Company continued to establish the popular Saint’s image. Two of the Museum’s molds depict this modern image of Santa Claus.
The Museum’s chocolate Santa molds are made of tin-coated metal. They are so-called double moulds and are kept closed by clips or locks. One of the Santa chocolate molds is fully enclosed when folded together while the other two have an opening at the bottom through which they were filled up with chocolate. The earliest double molds are characterized by this aperture at the bottom.
The first molds were created in Europe around 1830 with the help of tin-coated metal sheets pressed into shapes. In the early years, plaster molds were used to create basic casts. With the development of large pressing machines, the first metal molds were manufactured. In the late 1880s, US companies began manufacturing chocolate molds, but Germany remained the largest supplier to the US until the early 1900s. It is very likely that the NCHM molds come from a German manufactory.
These chocolate molds were gifted to the Museum by Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Adams. You can view the Santa molds and all our playful Christmas artifacts and decorations, Wed-Sun, 11-4pm, at the Neill-Cochran House Museum.Acquisition
Accession
2013.06Source or Donor
Barbara AdamsAcquisition Method
Gift