Description
Patriotic Kris Ornament by P. Buckley Moss
Introduction
Patriotic Kris Ornament by P. Buckley Moss brings two unmistakable traditions together in one lively image: Santa Claus at Christmas and the American flag. Santa stands at the center in his red-and-white suit, raising a flag in each hand against an open white ground and a richly patterned circular holiday border.
This limited, numbered porcelain ornament is supplied as a 2002 edition of 5,000, measuring 3-5/16 inches in diameter. The example offered by Canada Goose Gallery is new and mint with box, pouch, gold hanging cord, and official artist certification according to the supplied gallery information.
CGG’s approved inventory independently identifies it as Product ID 1849, currently priced at $35, with the unusually specific categories Christmas, Kris Kringle, and American Flag.
Story Behind the Artwork
The central idea is immediate: Santa has exchanged the usual toys, packages, or sleigh for a pair of American flags.
Moss gives the figure an energetic, almost celebratory pose. Santa’s arms stretch upward and outward, carrying the flags beyond the outline of his body. Against the largely white center, the red of his suit and the red, white, and blue flags become the first details the eye sees.
The surrounding border returns the image firmly to Christmas. Greenery, red berries, stars, and gold-toned details create a wreath-like frame around the patriotic Santa.
Rather than choosing between a Christmas image and an Americana image, Patriotic Kris Ornament deliberately allows the two visual traditions to occupy the same small composition.
Symbols & Meaning
The American flag is the ornament’s clearest national symbol, while Santa and the decorative greenery establish its Christmas identity.
Together, these elements can suggest celebration, national belonging, gratitude, and holiday tradition. Those are reasonable cultural interpretations of the imagery, not statements about Moss’s personal intention.
The existing description goes considerably further by attributing themes of faith, freedom, unity, and specific beliefs about America directly to Moss. No documented artist statement supplied for this product supports those claims, so they should not be presented as the artist’s stated message.
Artistic Details
The composition depends on symmetry. Santa stands nearly centered, with one raised arm and flag balancing the other. His black mittens and boots provide small visual anchors against the bright white center.
The flags introduce a second color system into the familiar Christmas palette. Santa’s red suit relates naturally to the flags’ red stripes, while their blue fields provide a strong contrast not normally present in a traditional red-and-green Christmas image.
The outer border is much more detailed than the central figure. Muted greens, red accents, stars, and gold tones form a decorative ring around the comparatively simple Santa.
That contrast—open center, energetic figure, richly patterned perimeter—allows the image to remain legible at ornament scale.
Featured Master Collections
Primary Master Collection: Christmas Traditions
Christmas is the clearest primary story: Santa is the central figure, the work is a Christmas ornament, and CGG’s approved inventory specifically categorizes it under Christmas and Kris Kringle.
Supporting Master Collection: Patriotism & Service
The two American flags are prominent, intentional parts of the composition rather than incidental background details. CGG’s inventory specifically assigns American Flag as a product category, making Patriotism & Service a strong secondary Master Collection connection.
This is a particularly useful example of how two Master Collections can overlap naturally: Christmas Traditions describes the occasion and principal character; Patriotism & Service describes the second major visual theme.
Decorating Ideas
Patriotic Kris Ornament works naturally on a traditional Christmas tree but can also anchor a more specialized Americana Christmas, red-white-and-blue holiday, Santa, or Kris Kringle ornament grouping.
Its 3-5/16-inch circular format also makes it suitable for tabletop display on a small ornament easel. Pairing it with other Moss Christmas ornaments allows the flags to provide an unexpected burst of blue among more conventional red, green, gold, and white holiday palettes.
Gift Ideas
This ornament is a thoughtful choice for a P. Buckley Moss collector, Santa collector, Americana collector, military or service family, veteran household, or someone whose Christmas decorating incorporates American heritage.
It can also work well as a Christmas gift for a family that displays patriotic decorations throughout the year but wants something specifically seasonal for December.
About the Edition
Artist: P. Buckley Moss
Year: 2002
Medium: Porcelain ornament
Edition type: Limited, Numbered Edition
Edition size: 5,000
Product ID: 1849
Size: 3-5/16 inches diameter
Orientation: Round
Condition: New / Mint
Current CGG price: $35
Presentation: Box, gold hanging cord per supplied information
Official artist certification: Included per supplied information
CGG’s approved inventory independently verifies Product ID 1849, current $35 price, porcelain medium, limited numbered classification, and Christmas / Kris Kringle / American Flag categories.
CGG also carries the corresponding Patriotic Kris limited numbered lithograph, Product ID 7504, dated 2002 and currently listed at $50. That separate print provides useful supporting evidence for the artwork’s year and title.
🎨 Fun Fact:
The familiar American flag did not always have its stars arranged in the neat rows seen today. Before 1912, federal law specified the number of stars and stripes but did not prescribe one official arrangement for the stars, so 19th-century American flags appeared with rows, circles, medallions, and other patterns. President William Howard Taft’s 1912 executive order standardized the proportions and star arrangement of the 48-star flag. That means the orderly star fields Americans now take for granted are a comparatively modern chapter in the flag’s much longer history.
🖼️ Collector’s Insight:
What distinguishes Patriotic Kris Ornament is the unusually direct meeting of two established Moss collecting themes. Santa makes it immediately part of a Christmas display, but the pair of American flags gives the composition an Americana identity that most Kris Kringle ornaments do not share. Visually, the flags also expand the palette beyond traditional Christmas red and green by adding crisp blue accents above Santa’s raised hands. For collectors organizing Moss artwork by theme, this single ornament provides a natural bridge between Christmas Traditions and Patriotism & Service without requiring an invented symbolic story.
Why Buy from Canada Goose Gallery
Canada Goose Gallery’s approved inventory identifies Patriotic Kris Ornament as a limited, numbered porcelain ornament, Product ID 1849, currently priced at $35. The supplied gallery information describes this example as new and mint, boxed with gold hanging cord, and accompanied by the original artist certification.
Continue Exploring
For the Santa story:
- Skating Kris Kringle Ornament is a verified CGG product and provides another playful interpretation of Kris Kringle.
- Santa’s Cabin Ornament is another verified Santa-centered Christmas ornament.
- Pit Stop Ornament, currently $48, provides a humorous Santa variation.
For the patriotic story:
Suggested Categories & Subjects:
- P. Buckley Moss Ornaments
- Christmas
- Kris Kringle
- American Flag
“A red, white & blue Christmas.”
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