200 nativity scenes from around the world in all sorts of medium ..........clay, wax,textiles, wood, paper, card, knitting - you name it. This is their 10th year and the main theme was The Star and the Magi.
72 out of the 200 belong to broadcaster Libby Purves, who used to display them each Christmas at a barn in their home in Suffolk. Now she has hundreds and each year lends some to Grundisburgh church for their display. The rest come from other people who have collected them from overseas or made them and loan them to the church.
It would be difficult to photograph everything there so I picked a few favourites.
First a Gypsy Nativity. I tried to find the poem written here on line but couldn't.
Below is one from Italy
In glass domes or boxes, also from Italy
A whole village scene, not sure where this one is from
The answer to the photo I teased you with last week. It's a French SANTON -Traditional in a jug
Some of the smaller models from all round the world - mostly South American countries I think
Even more, all sorts from many countries
At the front a collection of wooden models from Naples, where a whole street is dedicated to the making and selling of crib scenes (Presepe in Italian).
This one below is amazing - not sure where it's from, it has running water trickling down the mountain in the centre of the model and lights.
Below a scene all made from needlepoint by the local craft group
A large crib scene from wood made locally.
Among the 200 they even had a crib scene the same as my little stained glass model that you can see in my mantel piece photo yesterday.
There were just so many scenes laid out and lots of visitors it made photography very difficult, so apologies, my photography doesn't show them at their best..
The ladies of the church were serving refreshments so of course I had to partake of coffee and cake as they were home made and delicious!
If ever you hear of something similar in your part of the world it will be worth a visit. I hope to go again next year.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
What an amazing event. Libby Purves is an interesting woman - where do you suppose she keeps her cribs during the rest of the Year?
ReplyDeleteI know the answer to that one - they are stored in a secure warehouse in Leiston.
DeleteIf we had moved to the smallholding in 1990 rather than 1992 we would have been living in the same road as Paul Heiney and Libby Purves. They went from Knodishall to a farm in Middleton where he did all the farming with horses stuff. Then downsized about 10? years ago to where they are now - near Dunwich
How lovely to see all these different ones, I actually really like the gypsy one, I love gypsy caravans.
ReplyDeleteHow amazingly detailed some of them are...and so diverse! Well, as they would be I suppose, being from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteHow fantastic. A most unusual and interesting display. Wish we had something like that round here.
ReplyDeletexx
A great exhibition and fascinating to see all the different scenes. X
ReplyDeleteHow lovely! I think the one you are not sure about shows traditional santons from Provence in France, because they look very similar to mine, lovingly acquired over several visits there. I first heard of them when Libby Purves wrote an article about her collection and that's what inspired me to start collecting ... I only have a few, they are not cheap! They are a favourite part of my Christmas preparations and I am pleased to hear that her collection is still being displayed.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar event at our local church, St Marys in Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, next weekend Dec 8th and 9th, so if any our your readers live near they would be very welcome. Ew took 2 of our grandchildren last year and it was magical.
ReplyDeleteMy usual only Christmas decoration is my crib on the table. I am a traditionalist in how it look but it can move around and I like to move and re-arrange the figures each time I sit down. Some of Libby Purves' cribs have been in Norwich Cathedral in years gone by. I collect figures so my three wise men are in excess and I also like animals so they have increased. I bought many of my figures on the Azores a few years ago, a Catholic country and hand made on the island. Thanks
ReplyDeleteOh, how I would love to have seen this display, Sue. I have about 10 different ones now, mostly made by myself and DH. My newest one this year will be a set of nativity buttons glued into a tiny wooden stable. I have a pattern for a knitted set but keep using the yarn for other projects!
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful set of cribs. Thank you Sue.
ReplyDeleteHazel c uk
Had no idea events like this existed, now I understand about the jug you posted about! Love the new header by the way.
ReplyDeleteOh wow - how lovely are those? I loved the gypsy one best, and then the one with the water trickling down the middle. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteWe have never had a crib here - not being very religious and tbh, when the children were smaller, they would make little paper ones at school to bring home.
What a lovely outing.
I would liked to have seen this. My Swiss mother, when she came to the U.K. in about 1950, as a 17 year old, had in her luggage crib pieces from home, of all things pack. We grew up with this of course, and following her death this year my youngest brother has taken over stewardship of it. I hope one of his two children will one day take it on and value it.
ReplyDeleteOh I love this, Sue - thanks for posting it. I have never heard of a crib-fest before! What a variety of scenes - enchanting.
ReplyDeleteI would so love to have seen this!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely they are. A few years ago now I was in Naples, outside a pizza parlor they were displaying a brilliant nativity scene all created from ... Pizza dough! It was brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and interesting exhibition. I love things like that.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant exhibition, really love the gypsy one and the mountain one. As we make 1/12th scale miniatures it was really interesting to see the scenes xcx
ReplyDeleteThe only one I really like is the wooden one ... I guess I'm just a traditionalist, and a local one at that ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy favourite too.
DeleteThat really is amazing! I do enjoy seeing how Christmas is interpreted in other countries and cultures. Fascinating. Thank you for sharing it with us. x
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see so many artistic displays of the nativity scene. I have a small wooden, hand-painted set that was made in Guatemala. My 4 year old grandson was over last night and as he was playing with the figures, he asked me which one of the wise men was the grandpa. :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing and that is a collection worth having. I only realised when I read this post that I have got quite a few nativity scenes - but mine are really quite tiny ones - in fact one fits in a little matchbox.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to see this. Although they are all interesting my favourite is the one made locally of wood for its simplicity.
They had some tiny ones in matchboxes too - but didn't have them out of the matchboxes - I guess they would have got soon lost
DeleteHard to choose but I think the gypsy one is my favourite as I love the colours. They are all lovely though.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
How gorgeous - must mention this at our Advent luncheon tomorrow - it's a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteThat was worth turning out for! They are all beautiful, but the wooden one is the one I would most like to own.
ReplyDeleteI have never come across anything like this before, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and varied display! We have a wooden set that was hand carved in the mountains of North Carolina many years ago. It is amazing to see all the different styles.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! What a collection to see.
ReplyDeleteLast year visiting family in New England, we visited a shrine which has a huge Christmas lights display but also an international museum of crèches. It was amazing and similar to the display you visited except all were behind glass. The shrine is called La Salette in North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lasaletteattleboroshrine.org/christmas-festival
I used to collect nativities as we call them. Never heard them called cribs. When we downsized to move here I had to let go some of them. I still have enough though.
ReplyDeleteI remember being in Spain one Christmas, and the Catalonian crib scenes always have a character having a poo! He's called The Caganer, and as you can imagine, my then 6 year old son thought it was the funniest thing ever. Every shop window in the local town had a crib scene and I think we stood in front of every one trying to find The Caganer, he was always in different places and dressed differently LOL!
ReplyDeleteThey are gorgeous - thank you for sharing! I believe we have a similar show on the other side of our state; I will be searching to see if there might be one closer to home.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 nativities: a music box version with a Lladro-inspired look to it, a colorful wooden set, and my parents' old set, with breakable figurines (except for one plastic wise man!)and a stable with a star cut out that is lit from behind.
Come to think of it, I actually have 5, if you count the 2 nativity tree ornaments.
When I was superintendant of our church school I had a contest for the children to make/bring a crib scene (or manger scene as we say here) from home. My daughter and I made one using her Barbie dolls which actually turned out quite well and is a treasured family memory...Mary Poppins was Mary, Ken was Joseph, and all were clothed in my great-aunt's scarf collection!
ReplyDelete