History and technique of the Napoletan Christmas Crib
The Napoletan Crib was born as the representation of the Nativity in 1470 by Alemanno Giovanni and Pietro brothers. This first crib was made up wood life-sized figurines with no accessory which might take peolple's attention off the importance of the holy event they showed. They were solemn images which invited everyone to the piety and prayer.
Something changed in the XVI century. In this period we have the first forms of setting with a certain sort of landscape and except the ox and the donkey, some more animals like the dog, the goat and the sheeps,two shepherds and three angels.
The structure of the crib is with the cave in the best position rounded by adoring shepherds and angels, then the holy mountain with some more shepherds and flocks and angels in the blue sky who announce the Gospel and the procession of the three wise Men in the distance.
In the first middle of the XVII century the idea of the artist who creates the shepherds was born. In the second middle of the XVII century shepherds made of paper-pilp smaller than the previous ones made of wood appeared besides the wood manikins with articulated limbs and cloth dresses. This kind of manikins was considered a real innovation even if, until the crib of the XVIII century, tradition and innovation were combined.
The new structure of the shepherds corresponded to the new idea of the crib: the shepherd was becoming a real character with its ownn role to symbolize.
The manikin in this new type of crib was smaller in size than those of the previous cribs. It was high 30-40 cm so that to articulate itself freely in the surrounding space.
The body of the shepherd is in tow with the inside in iron wire. The limbs are made of wood and the head is made of polychromatic terracotta. The eyes are in painted glass according to the above mentioned tradition of the XVIII century.
The head and the first part of the bust are fixed to the manikin by a piece of string.
