Welcome to the world of the nativity scene
My name is Serge Paquet. Among other things, I am a nativity scene collector. So what? Friends and former work colleagues have suggested I share images from my collection online. Hence this site.
But I thought just having a photo gallery of nativity scenes would be a bit simplistic. Therefore, you will find on this site some info on nativity scenes, their history and their variations. And most of my 62 (!) nativity scenes.
But let’s start with some questions (and answers) :
What is a Nativity scene?
What you will see on this site
What is a nativity scene?
Good question for a site about it.
A nativity scene is the representation, through sculptures or other three-dimensional objects,, of Jesus’ birth.
It appeared in 13th century’s Italy, then spread around the world, mostly from the 19th century on with mass production. In Nativity plays (or Christmas pageants), live human beings (and animals) play the story’s main characters.
Not surprisingly, the main components are Baby Jesus himself, laying in a manger, Mary and Joseph. Nativity scenes alsso usually include the ox, the donkey, the shepherds (and their sheep), and the three Wise Men (or kings, or magi). They are usually in or around a barn. Depending on the makers’ imagination, other characters may be added. There can even be a whole village, as with santons…
TOP
What you will see on this site
Nativity scenes have their own history, with origins that can be traced to the Christiannity’s first centuries Discover it, from the first representations of Jesus’ birth to contemporary re-interpretations.
The story of Jesus’ birth told in the Bible, includes characters and places, each with their own history. The sources of the Nativity story include the Gospels, but also other texts both within and outside the Bible.
Various cultures have come with their own variation of the Nativity story. Notably, craftpeople from France’s Provence region have created a whole universe through the santons, where Jesus is born in a tradiutonal village and some of the locals’ own story complement the story of his birth.
Of course, there is also my own collection : 62 nativity scenes in various formats, materials and origins, from the classical to the contemporary as well as tiny ones and even animals replacing human characters (!).
TOP
