Early Putz Stick Leg

Paper Mache Composite & Wood

Billy Goat

This is an adorable Paper Mache and Wood Putz Stick Leg Billy Goat. The term “Putz” was derived from the German verb putzen, which means to decorate.

Stick leg or German putz animals are popular antiques to collect. They have their origins in the decorative Christmas villages that were a long-standing tradition of the Moravian Church. In America, early Moravian settlements could be found in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. These Moravian families would construct a nativity scene, or putz, in a corner of their house. As Christmas trees became popular, they would decorate under the tree. By the early 19th century, more elaborate scenes were being constructed and found on the fireplace mantels and other prominent places in the Moravian home. For many families, the act of creating the Putz was more in-depth and took longer than decorating the Christmas tree.

This putz Billy Goat is beautifully designed and painted.  It is made of composite materials with wooden stick legs.  He has a painted Black/White coloring with delicate black horns.  He is well preserved for age, with just a few light stress cracks where the body meets the legs and some paint loss around the hooves. He is a nice size, measuring about 3 ¾ inches tall and 4 inches wide.

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