Angel chimes, also known as angel-abra,[ according to whom? ] are a form of Christmas decoration popular in Europe and North America. [1] They apparently have the same origins as the Christmas pyramid, which functions on the same principle. They differ from these, primarily, in being mass-produced from metal and might have bell-ringing angels, whereas Christmas pyramids are usually crafted from wood and do not necessarily have bells.
Angel chimes have candle holders at the base which provide heat which turns a turbine at the top, which powers a series of trumpet-holding angel figures which "fly" around in a circle, striking bells beneath them. They usually have other decorative motifs, such as the Star of Bethlehem or a creche.
The earliest known patent for an angel chime was filed in 1905 by Walter Stock of the German toy firm Adrian & Stock. [2] These early pre–World War II German chimes were typically made of tin and featured lithographed designs.
During the mid-20th century, candle-powered rotating chimes became popular across Scandinavia, where the style evolved into what is widely recognized today as the classic “Swedish angel chime.” For several decades, production of these Scandinavian metal chimes was carried out by SMP (Scandinavian Metal Product), which manufactured versions based on the traditional rotating candle-heat mechanism.
According to company records, the full manufacturing operations, tooling, and associated production rights for the Angel Chimes product were transferred from SMP to Aras Metal in Turkey in 2013. Following this transfer, Aras Metal continued manufacturing using the original Scandinavian molds and design specifications.
While many similar candle chimes have appeared on the market over the years, the production lineage of the traditional Swedish-style angel chime traces from the early German patents, through Scandinavian manufacturing by SMP, and subsequently through the continuation of production by Aras Metal after 2013.
Angel Chimes is also a registered trademark. The term Angel Chimes® is registered by Aras Metal San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti. in several jurisdictions, including:
These registrations protect the use of Angel Chimes as a trademark for decorative candle-powered rotating ornaments.
Christmas angel chimes are popularly known as "änglaspel" in Sweden. [7] After World War II, Swedish-made chimes became popular in both Europe and North America. These brought a simpler aesthetic in brass.
More recently, angel chimes manufactured in China has come to dominate the export market. The design now includes spinning candles.
There are a number of songs written about angel chimes, which include Angel's song, the Christmas Chimes. The sheet music has been compiled at the performing arts encyclopedia [8] of the United States Library of Congress up to the present day. Ringle-rey, Shoo-hey by Birgit Ridderstedt also refers to angel chimes.
