I love the character of this sheep toy!  He dates from about 1900 and is just so whimsical – with one blue eye and one green eye and the little orange bow on his tail!

I don’t know a lot about him.  He appears to be handmade and looks very much like a Putz sheep of the same period.  He is attached to a wooden base which makes me think that he may have originally been a pull toy.

Did you know that the first pull toys were made in ancient Greece and Egypt in about 2000 BC?  These early toys were clay figures of animals with wheels attached to the feet!

Whatever this sheep’s story is, I think he’s very charming!  He would be so lovely on a Christmas mantle with holly strewn around his base!

He is currently up for auction on Ebay, ending this Sunday evening.  If you’re interested in bidding on him, click here!

Antique Toy Chest is now on Facebook! The Facebook Fan page is a great venue for updates on new items, sales, toy shows, and more! Click here to become a fan. Fans get 10% off of any non-sale purchases in my shop on Ruby Lane!