The magic of the holiday season is hard to capture. But sometimes you almost can –in a hand-painted ball or a sculpted angel.
Look at these intricate lovelies, for example. Though they almost appear to be made of cloisonné, these splendid ornaments are actually hand-painted papier mache!
As for the angel, I find these unusual winged creatures quite haunting. Made of laurel wood, artisan Dagoberto Gomez says they are inspired by the forests of Zaragoza.
Speaking of winged creatures, this fellow makes me especially happy. I’ve named him Mr. Pickwick after the robin who lived outside my bedroom window as a child. He’s made of felt and has a large family.
Christmas decorations can bring out the kid in all of us. Growing up in rural Virginia, every indication of the coming festivities gave me a thrill – from the multi-colored snowflakes strung up on Main Street to the Bing Crosby muzak in the grocery store.
I got especially excited when the life-size manger appeared outside the courthouse. It was sort of battered and slightly alarming, that enormous nativity scene, but I welcomed its appearance as my cue to bring out our own family crèche, which I spent hours arranging (and rearranging) on the dining room table.
My mother bought our family nativity set in Mexico in the 1960s. The magi had red eyes like locusts and the sheep fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. The key to an heirloom set like the one my mother found, is the right balance of tradition and original flair. I have been drawn to handcrafted nativity crèches ever since, searching for its equal.
An artisan workshop in El Salvador makes this beautiful nativity set, the characters of which beg to be handled like puzzle pieces. I can well imagine spending hours playing with this Holy Night!
But this one most appeals to my adult, 21st century sensibilities. Made from discarded automotive parts, it’s a fully recycled birthday party! Mary and Joseph are fashioned from spark plugs, and Melchior rides a horse made from a transmission chain. Now that’s a Wise Man!
Nativity sets are an important tradition in Central and South America, but you can find the Christmas story inspiring other cultures and even religions.
In this fantastic set, the angel is a deva and a water buffalo shares the manger with the baby. The entourage, exquisitely crafted from celadon ceramic, is in the traditional dress of Thailand.
There were times, I admit, that I absconded with the figures of our dining room table crèche and hid them in the bows of the Christmas tree. So I was amused to find these ingenious West African magi ready to trim the tree.
I plan to arrange them with these three guys and make my own conclusions about wisdom …
Honestly, beautiful holiday ornaments are the next best thing to peace on earth!
