Handpainted Sheep on Wheels

This woolly fellow has hitched a ride with a little glittered evergreen in a red pot, and he's clearly on his way to deliver it to someone's holiday mantel. His fleece is carved with soft, rippling waves, and a garland of frosted greenery and berry clusters rests around his head, so he looks ready for the village Christmas parade. Every brushstroke on his face was painted by hand, so he's a one-of-a-kind traveler.

Sheep have been part of Christmas since the very first one, when shepherds in the nativity story kept watch over their flocks. Early German nativity and village displays, called putz, often included cotton-batting sheep, and Victorian and later makers borrowed that charm for tabletop scenes. A wheeled sheep pulling a tree is a happy modern twist on those old-fashioned village figures.

• Material — handpainted polyresin body in cream with a textured woolly finish, on black spoked wheels
• Dimensions — 5" x 4" x 2" (12.7 x 10.2 x 5.1 cm)
• Decoration — glittered evergreen tree in a red pot, plus a garland of greenery and red berries
• Finish — hand-painted, so shading and small details vary slightly from piece to piece
• Care — dust gently with a soft brush, keep away from moisture and heat, and avoid rough handling of the wheels