Penny dolls

I never really was a doll lover as a child. I had a few Barbie dolls, but I always cut their hair off. I was a bit of a tomboy and would rather play cowboys and Indians outside, but occasionally, when the weather wasn’t great or I was sick, I would play with Barbie. I absolutely did not play with baby dolls! My Mom had her antique ones with cracked faces that were creepy.  They scared me and then my sons when they would spend the night with their grandparents. Two generations of scarred and scared kids! So why do I like dolls now I wonder? Well, not all dolls, but the sweet, simple homemade kind. I guess they would be considered historic dolls. My favorite is the penny doll. So called because they were inexpensive. Some are so tiny, they will fit inside a walnut shell! They were simple, wooden dolls and were sold undressed so little girls could learn to sew clothes. Some were made by hand by loving fathers or grandfathers, others were store bought. They remind me of the simpler time period I love so well. In 2016, I went to Colonial Williamsburg and there she was- all alone in a glass case, just waiting for me. She was on sale, but certainly not a penny! I decided to sleep on it and if she was still there the next day, she would be mine. Obviously, I found her the next day and brought her home with me. I still haven’t named her, although I think I will name her Abigail or Martha, after my favorite two First Ladies or maybe an old fashioned name like Patience to remind me of that virtue of which I am sorely lacking! Whatever her name, she is always smiling at me, always in a good mood and that makes me happy. I will try to be more like her!

Putz Sheep

Good morning everyone!  Spring is just around the corner and I thought I would write about one of my favorite things for the season- Putz sheep!  I sell out of these little darlings at Christmas time but they are just as popular at Easter.  

At Christmas, they remind us of the lowly shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks while the baby Jesus was being born in Bethlehem.  At Easter, they remind us of the perfect Lamb of God who was slain for our sins.  

How about a little history lesson on these guys?  These traditions derived from my favorite group- the Moravians (German speaking protestant missionaries who came to America in the 18th century).  Families would construct a nativity scene at Christmas time and each year the scene would grow larger and more elaborate as you can see from the picture.  The central scene is of course the nativity with the Holy Family, wise men, shepherds, sheep and camels.  The village would grow around the nativity scene.  

There are several meanings for the word "Putz". In German, it can mean plaster, finery or adornment.  All of these words apply to a Putz village because most of them are rendered or decorated with fine, plaster figurines.  In the Jewish Yiddish, it means a fool or someone obnoxious, someone who is a "putz!".  Personally, I prefer the German derivation! 

Beautiful little houses and animals are rare and expensive finds if they were made in the Erzgebirge mountains of Germany (think of cuckoo clocks and the Black Forest region).  

The sheep pictured in the first picture are antique ones probably made before WWII.  Today, fine reproductions of those same sheep are for sale right here in my shop and much less expensive than the real things!