Most Happy Fellow with his Horse and his Buggy

Our most happy fellow is driving his buggy to town.  He dates to the late 19th/early 20th century and is in very fine condition.  Once part of a folk & unusual art collection, used as inspiration by listed German-American artist Jan Balet.  The figure is signed on the bottom in Polish. I think.  I see a resemblance between this carving and the German Erzgebirge figures, but ours has more angles and less roundness. 

The carriage is single horse-drawn. It has seating for one or two passengers in the back, and a folding hood to protect them from too much sun and too much rain.  The driver's perch is a box seat is up front protected by a curved foot rest and dash, as in a real carriage.  There is gilded trim throughout the carriage, including the spokes on its wheels, which are actually solid disks painted to look like wheels.  The wheels turn, as designed. There is gold paint, also, representing brass handle and hardware, etc., on the wagon.   Carriage lamps sit on either side of the driver's seat, with their tops and lights in gold paint.  The seats are a nice cordovan red paint.  The hood, though leather in real life, is carved and painted wood and therefore does not open and shut.  There is a number 1 painted on the wagon's back.

The driver has carved and painted features, with a goatee, a Hercule Poirot mustache and, from appearances, a good sense of humor.   His uniform jacket has buttons, a collar, a stripe down each arm and dot decoration at his wrists, all of the dulled gold paint.  He wears black boots. His tiny hands hold reins of threads, which extend into the horse's headstall.  You can lift the driver from the seat.  He's anchored on with a nail that goes through a hole in the bench.

The horse is white and has a carved & painted wood tail and a thick mane of mohair.  His breastplate has 3 gold dots on it.  The shafts that hold the horse to the carriage are in the gold paint.  Near the shaft tips are thin brass wires, shaft holders connecting them to the harness.
The composition is set on a sheet of wood. This base measures 8 3/4"long X 3" deep X 1/4" thick.  Measurements of the piece in entirety: 8 1/2"L X 5 5/8"H X 3"D. To find an authentic piece with this detail and strength of character is pretty exciting. To find one so well cared for is a downright wonderful!