Pip — Hand-Painted Folk Art Chalkware Rabbit

The Artistry

Catalog #R206, known as Pip, is a rare forward-facing chalkware rabbit—modeled so the expression meets you directly rather than turning away in profile. Measuring approximately 7 ½", the figure is hand-cast from a highly detailed antique chocolate mold and finished in a warm, primitive honey-brown palette.

The eyes are the heart of this piece. I paint them slowly and deliberately to capture a gentle, attentive gaze—one that gives Pip an heirloom-like presence and makes him feel more like a portrait than a simple seasonal figure.

The name has a personal origin. While I was painting this rabbit, I realized—only afterward—that I had unknowingly echoed the expression of my lynx-point cat, also named Pip. It was a happy accident that resulted in a rabbit with an uncommonly soft, watchful look. After the final brushstrokes, each piece is glazed and hand-antiqued to suggest the softened patina of a 19th-century German chalkware treasure.

Styling Ideas

Pip’s forward-facing pose makes him a natural “greeter.” He displays beautifully on a mantel, in a stepback cupboard, or on a single shelf where he can look out into the room. His warm honey tones pair especially well with early wood, ironstone, and antique linens for a quiet, heirloom-inspired spring vignette.

Product Details:
Bittersweet House Folk Art captures the character and warmth of the German folk art tradition of chalkware. Each piece is individually hand-cast from an antique chocolate mold and meticulously hand-painted.

The exacting craftsmanship and attention to detail ensure a treasure that reflects our historic past and will last for generations to come. Every figure is hand-signed, numbered, and dated on the bottom: Bittersweet House Folk Art, Kathryn Campbell.