Tabletop scale. Big enough to notice, small enough to group.

20cm is the useful height for Christmas décor. Tall enough to hold its own on a mantelpiece, short enough that it will not block the view across a dining table.

On a console or a hall table it sits comfortably in front of a mirror or a picture without covering it.

As a table centrepiece, 20cm sits below the sightline of people seated opposite one another, which is the test most centrepieces fail.

Sold as a single figurine.

A resting pose, which is rarer than it sounds.

Almost every decorative reindeer is standing, often mid-stride. This one is folded down, legs tucked, head and antlers lifted, and the difference in a room is considerable. A standing figure is poised and a little formal; a resting one settles into a surface and looks as though it has chosen to be there.

The antlers carry the detail. They branch properly rather than resolving into a simplified shape, and because they rise well above the body they throw a genuine silhouette against a wall or a mirror behind.

The gold is warm rather than brassy, which is what lets it sit with greenery and candlelight instead of fighting them. Against a cool silver scheme it would look out of place; against evergreen, cream and timber it is exactly right.

And because the pose is low and compact, it works pressed up against other things — tucked into a garland, set among candles — in a way a standing figure with four legs showing does not.

• A resting pose, which almost no decorative reindeer has
• Properly branched antlers that throw a real silhouette
• Warm gold rather than brassy, so it sits with greenery and candlelight
• 20cm tall, below the sightline across a dining table
• Compact enough to tuck into a garland or among candles
• Works alone or in a group, which few single ornaments manage
• Not overtly novelty, so it reads as decoration rather than tinsel
• Packs away small and comes out every year

Gold under a ceiling light is flat. Gold beside a candle catches and shifts as the flame moves, and that is the whole reason to choose a metallic finish. Group it with low candles rather than lighting it from above.

Those antlers want something behind them. A mirror, a dark wall or a window at dusk turns the silhouette into the feature.

The low pose is made for this. Settle it into a garland along a mantelpiece or among foliage down the centre of a table so it emerges rather than stands on top.

If you are grouping, three objects at three different heights reads better than a matched pair. This at 20cm, something taller behind, something low in front.

One or two gold pieces in a scheme look deliberate. Six look like a shop window. Let this be the metallic and keep everything around it matt.

Dust with a dry soft cloth. A metallic finish shows fingerprints and dust more readily than a matt one, and a quick wipe is all it needs.

Nothing abrasive, nothing wet. No cream cleaners, no polish, no scouring. A gold finish sits on the surface and will not survive being scrubbed.

Mind the antlers when you handle it. They are the most detailed part and the part that catches on things. Lift the figurine by the body rather than the antlers, in use and when packing it away.

Pack it wrapped. Tissue or bubble wrap around the antlers before it goes into the loft, and not at the bottom of the box under heavier decorations.

Interior only, and away from direct heat. Not on a mantelpiece shelf directly above a lit fire, and not in a conservatory or porch where damp gets at it.

What to expect. A gold finish varies slightly in tone depending on the light it is under, warmer by candlelight and cooler by daylight. That is the finish behaving normally.

It ships boxed with the antlers protected. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Planning a mantelpiece or a table and not sure how many pieces you need? Tell us the length of the surface and we will suggest a grouping. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Dressing a restaurant or a holiday let for the season? Ask about trade accounts.