Belsnickle Santa Dovetailed Box Greens Lights Up

Don’t laugh! When I opened the box to retrieve my Belsnickles to use for gatherings two of these Santa’s had nibbles in their robes and the culprit was a wee mouse. Off to the cosmetic surgeon who is Dr. Harry and when I peeked into the recovery room both patients were transformed into chalkware Santa’s and looked better than ever! What a happy accident! I decided to keep one because of his favored appearance and the other is now ready to present in a unique gathering.

The contemporary belsnickle now resides in an interesting box accented with greens, berries and a silver mercury style ornament. It is amazing what a strand of 35 lights can do for soft illumination and are also included to create an enchanting look in your home for the holidays!

The Santa’s face has been hand painted and his winter white appearance is clean and refreshing. Areas of darker hues appear at random as shown and really lend an old look to this piece. He is holding a berry tipped feather tree while the black boots make for a nice reprieve from the off white body color. He does have some little holes scattered throughout his arms and hat that just seems to add unique character. Condition is great!

This unusual box exhibits a separate raised open compartment located at the top right hand side as referenced in images 34 & 35. I used this area for the Belsnickle and placed frosted holly in the front. The other area of the box that has recessed form was filled with brown excelsior and topped with holiday greens and berries. Wee pinecones are also nestled near the back while a contemporary gleaming silver ribbed ornament brings interest to the left. An array of large and small crimson berries let their presence be known by bringing exciting color to this festive and joyful party.

This box dates to the 1900 to 1920 period. Small trim in triplicated raised detail was added to the front as well as the right and left hand side which is a nice decorative feature. The machine cut dovetail joints located on all four corners add plenty of detail lending character. Small round head nails were used on the bottom that have appropriate nail bleed. The surface has an overall dark appearance.

There is a small divot on the front edge near the left as shown in image 19. A couple areas in the back have experienced wood loss one on the bottom right edge and the other on the tip edge near the left as referenced in images 24 and 25. A small piece of trim is missing from the bottom edge of the left panel as shown in image 28. The condition is still good and this piece does make for a nice display especially filled with pleasantries of your choosing.

This gathering is ready to be enjoyed as soon as it arrives! The lights have a plug that will accommodate any receptacle with ease. What a pretty statement this would make placed in a deep window sill to welcome family and guests for your special holiday gathering! Enjoy!

Box measures 12” across including the extended trim, measures 4 ¾” tall and is 6” deep (front to back). Overall height with greens is 7” tall. Overall height of Santa including the tree is 6”, he stands 5 ½” tall, measures 1 ¾” across base and is 1 ¾” deep (front to back).