In Italian tradition, a cardinal means that someone who loves you is thinking of you, which is why this ornament tends to find its way onto a tree for a particular reason rather than just for decoration. Skilled Italian artisans shape the Ornaments Figural Cardinal from lightweight glass and hand paint each one, so no two carry exactly the same brushwork. The weight matters on a tree: light enough to hang from a thin branch near the tip, where it will actually be seen. A handmade Italian Christmas ornament of the kind families box up carefully each January, it is made for decorative use. Hang it for the holidays, or give it to someone in a year they need the message.