More nativity

A couple weeks ago we went to Palo Alto to see the Christmas Creche exhibit at a local church there.  The family favorite was made of Legos, a 3D mosaic of sorts.  A main focus of the exhibit is folk art creches from around the world.  It is so interesting to see how people have interpreted the same story and scene in their own craft tradition.  The African creche made of mud and dung certainly got Buddy Boy's attention.  I really liked the various paper and wooden versions.  There was some incredibly artistry on display.  We watched the marionette show put on by the youth group.  It was fun.  Dancing marionettes are always a good time.  My Girl slept through most of the evening, but sometimes you just have to enjoy it in your own way. 

I thought I'd show you some of the nativity sets I've collected.

This one is from the province of Imbaburra in Ecuador.  I'm not sure if the figure on the left is a shepherd or a wise man.  It looks like a shepherd carrying a torch to me, but if it is then I'm missing a wise man.  Each village in the area specializes in something.  In the leather good town I bought a jacket and in the wood working town I bought this and another wooden sculpture that I have on the mantel year round.

This one is pretty cute.  It is carved from a white stone and is only about two inches tall.  It was given to me by a friend and co-worker when I left Bolivia.

This is also from Bolivia.  In La Paz there is a particular style of miniatures made for the Alasitas festival.  This festival happens each year.  You buy miniatures of what you want for the coming year and keep them in your home, cars, diplomas, animals, absolutely anything.  I wasn't there during the festival, but you can get these all year.

This isn't a nativity, but it is a wooden angel that I got in Guatemala.  Most of the carvings are very brightly painted, but I liked this unpainted one better. 

You can see we've been busy cutting paper snowflakes as well.

This also isn't really a nativity.  It reminds me of Bethlehem even though it is really a colonial pueblo.  I bought this the summer I was in Guatemala, but I don't remember if I got it in Guatemala on the whirlwind weekend trip we took to Honduras.

There you have it.  I'll probably collect more through the years when the mood strikes.  Who knows what I'll end up with.