Reprint from the Progress Times - December 7, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Commemorative centennial ornaments now available

 

A one-of-a-kind Christmas ornament and a one-of-a-kind opportunity to support the Mission Historical Museum is being brought to the community by Sara’s Pharmacy on 1300 South Bryan Road in Mission.

The museum, with the help of Sara’s Pharmacy, has commissioned 150 commemorative Christmas ornaments adorned with classic symbols of the city of Mission to be sold with all proceeds going to the Mission Historical Museum.

The ornaments, which were designed by Kitty Keller Designs, a company located in Seguin, Texas, were made by hand in a seven step cloisonné process.

The cloisonné process, used primarily by the ancient Chinese, begins with the formation of a hollow copper ball. Designs are then drawn onto the ball after which artisans begin attaching copper filaments to create small compartments. These compartments are then filled with enamel pastes using miniature spatulas. Once the pastes have dried, the ornaments are then put back into a kiln and fired for a few minutes where the dried pastes melt and solidify. The ornaments are then rubbed until smooth and the exposed edges of the metal wires and top and bottom of the ornament are electroplated with gold.

Armando Garza, co-owner of Sara’s Pharmacy, says the ornaments have had quite a good response.

"People come in and they think it’s really neat," said Garza. "We even had one guy call in and say he was going to buy 20 at one time. I know the museum does quite a bit for the city so we just wanted to help them out."

The ornaments are being sold at both Sara’s Pharmacy and the Mission Historical Museum for $35.