Name: Der Belsnickel Father Christmas in furs.

Maker: Beverly Walter for UFDC

Size: 17"

Medium: bisque

Date: 1980

Description: This wonderful vintage artist doll conjures up images of Miracle on 34th Street. Beverly Walter was commissioned to create the souvenir doll for the UFDC National Convention in Washington, D.C. in 1980. The theme was Christmas in July. 1500 kits were made, consisting of a bisque head with molded hair and beard, piercing blue intaglio eyes, black boots and frail bisque hands.

The photographs do not capture the sparkle in his eye that the artist created.

His hands are bisque with marvelous translucent painting showing what looks like elderly hands with blue veins.

His black boots are also bisque. The kit included a pattern for a cloth body.

Each doll was to be dressed by its owner, endowing each with an individual personality.

A truly marvelous artist doll. Beverly Walter has retired from doll making, and only 1500 examples exist. I can only assume many kits probably never got assembled.

This one-of-a-kind Der Belsnickel outfit is a brown velvet trimmed generously in genuine mink. He clutches a sprig of evergreen, reminiscent of a German Father Christmas. He's gorgeous!

Marks:

shoulder plate: Father Christmas / Beverly Walter / 1980

Condition: no chips, cracks or imperfections in the bisque. Clothing, excellent.

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