Ornament Review: The Nativity #4 - Angel - 2001 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: We get an angel to complete the series

Cons: Why a shepherd boy and sheep?

The Bottom Line:

Unfocused final

Tries to put too much in piece

Could have been better

Angels Bring this Series to a Close

At the turn of this century, Hallmark released a miniature ornament series of The Nativity.  It only lasted four entries, and I’ve found that some pieces worked well, and others didn’t work out as planned.  Unfortunately, it went out on a weaker note.

This fourth entries features a few firsts.  This is the first time we get angels, or I should say one angel.  It’s also the first time we get any livestock, in this case we get several sheep.  However, it also includes another shepherd, which were the subject of the previous entry.  This time, I think it is supposed to be a shepherd boy.

The main focus is on the angel, who has his hands raised and wings out behind him.  In front of him and to the right side are the sheep and the shepherd boy.

This ornament, like the others in the series, is made out of pewter.  It is just that metallic silver color with no other paint or coloring to help us figure things out.  The sculpting is okay, but it really needs more size to fully show us what is going on here.

Yes, I am complaining about the size in a mini ornament, but when you are creating something just under an inch in size, you have to make sure you’ve got the space to create the detail you need, and in this case, I don’t think they quite pulled it off.

Additionally, I’m wondering why they included the shepherd boy and the sheep with this ornament.  Sheep would have been a great touch for the previous entry, since it was hard to tell for sure they were shepherds.  I think this ornament would have worked better with just one angel.

Like the earlier entries in the series, this piece has a flat bottom, so you can set the series out to create a scene if you want.  You’ll also find the series marker on the bottom.  It’s very small, but it is there.

The loop for hanging the ornament is on the back of the angel’s head.  When you go to hang it, you’ll find that it hangs straight.

The first two ornaments in the series worked well, so it’s a shame that the series ended on a piece that is confusing.  It’s not truly bad, but I do wish it were clearer and just focused on the angel.

Looking for more of this set?  Here are the rest of the Nativity series.

Original Price: $9.95