Kurt S. Adler Skating Snowman Figurine — Vintage Christmas Folk Art with Top Hat & Star Wand

He’s got somewhere to be. A round little snowman leans into his stride, skates flashing, one mitten thrust up with a gold star wand and a candy cane held to his chest — the very picture of a fellow who has decided winter is best enjoyed at speed. Carrot nose, coal-dot eyes, a mouth pursed into a small surprised “o.” You could build a whole snowy scene around him and he’d still be the one having the most fun in it. He’s the work of Kurt S. Adler, and the company signed him plainly — the name is printed across his back, just below the coat, still perfectly legible. Adler has been an American Christmas name since 1946, a New York house whose ornaments and figures have trimmed trees and dressed mantels for generations, usually without anyone stopping to think about the maker. This is the good end of that tradition: a cast-resin folk figure, hand-painted, with the naive, carved-looking charm that separates a keeper from a knickknack. He reads late 20th century to me — the style Adler did so well through the 1990s. The details are where somebody clearly had fun. His top hat is black and glittered, tipped at a jaunty angle and trimmed with a red band and a little sprig of holly. His coat is deep burgundy with mauve pinstripes and a gold-painted hem, and his skate-boots are olive green with silver blades set on chips of faux “ice.” Glitter is dusted over the hat and body like fresh snow, and the whole cheerful business balances — improbably, gladly — on two little skates. He came to us from an estate in Louisburg, North Carolina, one of those homes where the Christmas things were clearly loved and just as clearly put away with care each January. The paint is bright, the glitter intact, and the star wand still stands tall. Small enough to live on a windowsill or tuck into a shelf among the greenery, and cheerful enough to earn the spot. He’s the kind of piece that makes people smile on the way past — which is really the whole job of a good Christmas figure.

Highlights & Details

• Maker: Kurt S. Adler, Inc. — signed across the back, below the coat (American Christmas house, est. 1946, New York City)
• Cast resin, hand-painted; roughly 4–5 inches tall
• Snowman on ice skates, holding a gold star wand and a candy cane
• Black glittered top hat with red band and holly sprig
• Burgundy pinstripe coat with gold-painted hem; olive-green skate-boots with silver blades
• Glitter accents over hat and body; poised on faux-silver “ice”
• Late 20th-century (1990s-style) vintage holiday figurine
• From a Louisburg, North Carolina estate

Condition: Very good. The paint is bright, the glitter is intact, and the star wand is secure — I see no chips, cracks, or losses. He displays beautifully.