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This small Herend porcelain woodpecker is a lovely survivor from around 1940. At just 3 inches tall and about 1.5 inches wide and long, it’s a compact, hand-painted figurine with crisp detail: glossy black wings, a warm orange chest, and fine speckling under the beak. The bird perches on a stylized branch with soft green and brown washes that show off the glaze beautifully. Described as Near Mint, it presents cleanly with bright colors and no obvious chips or hairlines, the kind of condition collectors hope to find after more than eight decades. It’s the right size for a windowsill, curio shelf, or desk—small, but with presence.

Herend, founded in 1826 in Hungary, is famous for making porcelain the old-fashioned way: cast, finished, and hand painted by skilled artists who train for years. Each figurine carries the company mark, and no two hand-painted birds are exactly the same. Herend’s wildlife pieces—along with its classic patterns—are prized because of the lifelike shading and careful brushwork. Production in the late 1930s and 1940s tended to be in smaller runs, so a 1940 woodpecker like this feels genuinely vintage and a bit harder to find. The careful firing and rich glazes give it that soft sheen collectors love, and its 80-plus years of age add real character and charm.