Charming Little Striped German Erzgebirge / Putz Houses, A Pair hand hoe And on the opposite inside

And on the opposite inside page a note that it was a birthday present to Betsey Adams (Nellie) from her friend Dorinda Conant

I am sure there were once two of them

5 5/8” t x 2 1/16” w x 1 1/4” d and in good condition

The tray measures 19"long by 11" wide by 2

There in one small surface chip on one of the handles mid-way down

Charming Little Striped German Erzgebirge / Putz Houses, A Pair hand hoe And on the opposite insideThe hand painted red stripes on these two completely delights me, I would guess intended to make them look Christmas y, but to me making them look quite carnivalesque! Terrific painted roofs, too. German, I think these would be described as Putz, which evolved from the German word "putzen" meaning to clean or to decorateas beginning in the late 19th c. or so these were used to decorate around Christmas nativity scenes. I believe this pair dates to the