Vintage Nativities
Collecting vintage Nativity
figures covers a variety much larger than first meets the eye and
can be considered a wonderful collectible regardless of the
religious connotation. The challenge becomes the variety involved
based on countries (Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, USA, etc.)
or media (paper, papier mache, plaster, terra cotta, salt, etc.) or
scale (from pocket-sized to enormous floor-sized figures for
churches). Then there are all the endless varieties involved within
each of these areas. Where to begin?
Those collectors who lean toward the fine quality and detail of
early German items might also consider including Nativity figures
that were created in similar fashion as the popular Belsnickles with
just as much detail in the facial expressions and into their
clothing. The top photo shows three rare German figures (hollow
papier mache, circa 1890) with extended hands and arms that involved
several extra steps in production; the stick-leg camel has glass
eyes. Collectors who grew up in the 1950/60's period might collect
the other end of the spectrum: Woolworth's Nativity figures (bottom
photo) that were sold in bins so the consumer could pick and choose
what to put in their scene. These hollow composition figures were
from both Japan and Italy where molds were often copied with slight
changes leaving today's collector with a seemingly never-ending
variety.
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