Description
Tree Lighting Ornament by P. Buckley Moss
Introduction
Tree Lighting Ornament by P. Buckley Moss brings several enduring Christmas subjects into one richly layered winter scene: Santa Claus, a horse-drawn carriage, a decorated community tree, and traditional red-brick architecture.
Santa rides in the carriage at the left while a dark horse carries the scene across the snowy foreground. Behind them, a tall Christmas tree rises above the surrounding buildings, with a crescent moon visible in the blue night sky. Rather than presenting Christmas as a private indoor celebration, Moss places the holiday outdoors in a setting that suggests a community gathering.
This limited, numbered porcelain ornament is supplied as a 2015 edition of 800, measuring 3-5/16 inches in diameter. Canada Goose Gallery’s approved inventory independently identifies it as Product ID 21374, currently priced at $42, with verified categories P. Buckley Moss Christmas and Horse.
Story Behind the Artwork
The title Tree Lighting provides the context for the gathering. A large decorated evergreen occupies the center of town while Santa approaches by horse-drawn carriage.
Moss builds the scene in layers. The carriage and horse create movement across the foreground. The Christmas tree establishes the central vertical axis. Behind both, red-brick buildings and a streetlamp-like form establish an architectural setting.
Santa’s raised hand gives the foreground an animated quality, while the horse and carriage suggest an arrival or procession. Above everything, the small crescent moon helps establish the evening setting.
The result evokes the familiar experience of a small-town Christmas celebration, although no specific town or documented event should be assigned to the artwork without supporting information.
Symbols & Meaning
The community Christmas tree is the clearest symbol in the composition, connecting the scene to the longstanding practice of gathering around a decorated public tree during the holiday season.
Santa brings associations with Christmas giving and anticipation, while the horse-drawn carriage adds a sense of older transportation and seasonal pageantry. The surrounding buildings reinforce the impression of a shared public setting rather than an isolated landscape.
Together, these elements can evoke community, celebration, tradition, anticipation, and nostalgia. These are interpretations of the visible imagery and title, not documented statements of Moss’s intention.
Artistic Details
The composition is unusually full for a round ornament, yet Moss organizes it around several strong shapes.
The Christmas tree rises near the center, its green branches and garlands contrasting with the predominantly blue-white winter environment. The horse creates a long, dark horizontal form across the lower right, while the pale carriage balances it at the left.
Santa’s bright red suit immediately attracts attention within the foreground.
Behind the tree, red and rose-colored buildings supply another layer of warm color. Their windows, rooflines, chimneys, and architectural details give the scene a sense of place without requiring identification as a specific town.
A blue sky and crescent moon establish the evening atmosphere, while the pale perimeter creates a soft winter frame around the busier center.
Featured Master Collections
Primary Master Collection: Christmas Traditions
The community tree, Santa Claus, winter setting, and ornament format make Christmas Traditions the strongest assignment.
Supporting Master Collection: Small-Town America
The arrangement of traditional buildings around what appears to be a public Christmas gathering gives the artwork a strong small-town narrative.
Supporting Master Collection: Animals & Companions
The horse occupies a substantial portion of the composition and is independently recognized by CGG’s inventory taxonomy, which classifies Tree Lighting Ornament under Horse as well as P. Buckley Moss Christmas.
Decorating Ideas
Tree Lighting Ornament works especially well on a traditional Christmas tree, Santa-themed tree, horse-themed holiday display, Victorian-inspired tree, or collection centered on small-town Christmas scenes.
Its palette of snowy white, winter blue, evergreen, brick red, and black is easy to coordinate with traditional red-and-green Christmas décor.
A small ornament easel can also bring the architectural and carriage details closer to eye level on a mantel, bookshelf, or holiday village display.
Gift Ideas
This ornament offers several distinct gifting connections. Consider it for a P. Buckley Moss collector, horse lover, Santa collector, Christmas village enthusiast, carriage-driving enthusiast, or someone who treasures annual community tree-lighting traditions.
It can also make a thoughtful ornament for someone whose favorite Christmas memories center on downtown celebrations, holiday parades, carriage rides, or gathering with family in a historic town center.
About the Edition
Artist: P. Buckley Moss
Year: 2015
Medium: Porcelain ornament
Edition type: Limited, Numbered Edition
Edition size: 500
Product ID: 21374
Size: 3-5/16 inches diameter
Orientation: Round
Current CGG price: $42
Condition: New / Mint
Presentation: Box, pouch, and gold hanging cord
Certificate: Existing description states original artist certification
CGG’s approved inventory independently verifies Product ID 21374, current $42 price, porcelain medium, limited numbered format, and the P. Buckley Moss Christmas / Horse categories.
🎨 Fun Fact:
Public Christmas-tree lightings became an American tradition partly alongside the spread of electric illumination. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge participated in the first National Christmas Tree lighting in Washington, D.C., walking to the Ellipse on Christmas Eve and pressing a button that illuminated a 48-foot balsam fir before thousands of spectators. The National Park Service notes that the event was conceived not simply as a decorated tree but as a community Christmas celebration, complete with music and public participation—a revealing historical parallel to the communal atmosphere suggested by the title Tree Lighting.
🖼️ Collector’s Insight:
What distinguishes Tree Lighting Ornament is the number of collecting themes Moss brings together within one small circular composition. It is simultaneously a Santa scene, a horse-and-carriage scene, an architectural winter scene, and a Christmas-tree scene. The tall evergreen provides the central anchor while the horse creates strong horizontal movement across the foreground and Santa’s red suit provides the brightest human focal point. For collectors interested in Moss’s Christmas imagery, the ornament offers more narrative context than a single-character design: it suggests an entire town participating in the season, while CGG’s verified Horse classification provides an additional collecting pathway.
Why Buy from Canada Goose Gallery
Canada Goose Gallery’s approved inventory identifies Tree Lighting Ornament as Product ID 21374, a limited, numbered porcelain ornament currently priced at $42.
The supplied example is new and mint and comes boxed with pouch and gold hanging cord.
Continue Exploring
For the horse-and-winter transportation connection
- The Sleighride Ornament — $30
For the Santa connection
Related Print Image:
- The Tree Lighting
- Moss Christmas Goose Artist Proof
- A Purrfect Ride
- Cat Family Christmas
- Christmas On The Farm
- Frosty Family Cabin
Suggested Categories & Subjects:
- P. Buckley Moss Ornaments
- P. Buckley Moss Christmas
- Horse
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.