Blackened Wax Folk Art: Father Christmas / Belsnickel

Something about this blackened wax Father Christmas just warms our hearts. Smells faintly of cinnamon. A bit like a candle, but one you don't burn. He will warm your corner cupboard or your mantle with a distinctly primitive charm. Lengthy at 9" tall, 3" wide, and a healthy 1" thick. Does not stand on its own; this piece will need to lean against something sturdy to stand vertically. Looks beautiful with greenery from nature. Blackened beeswax, paraffin, and coconut oil blend, with hand rubbed cinnamon, lovingly crafted and poured one at a time by Victoria Bowser in Worthington, Pennsylvania. As for the Belsnickel suggestion: though he seems more Father Christmasy to us, the maker sees this figure as Belsnickel, who is another of the midwinter gift bearers, preserved especially in the Pennsylvania Dutch communities. Though he brings gifts, Belsnickel is also a bit crotchety. He is related to other German midwinter visitors, like Knecht Rupert, but Belsnickel travels alone (rather than with St. Nicholas). He is also known as Beltznickle and Kriskinkle... which, of course, sounds a lot like our contemporary Kris Kringle. Our suggestion: Welcome this lovely midwinter visitor into your home and give him the name you prefer. BS001