Nestled Contentment
New for 2013, Nestled Contentment (Inge-Glas no. 1-004-13, 3" tall) is a Limited Edition of 999 pieces, with Presentation Box. Each piece is hand-numbered.
The coloration is not a perfect match, however, this little bird reminds us of an American Robin, especially the nest.
We love Inge-Glas' bird ornaments - and they are renowned for them - but we do admit, that the two new ones this year (see also the Resting Waterfowl) each with an elegant bird sitting on its nest, and with the nests made of natural materials, are very special.
Nestled Contentment will, without a doubt, become a Collector's piece.
A Special Bavarian Cow in Celebration of the Almabtrieb
We truly enjoyed finding these special little cows - two German kuhe in Almabtrieb dress.
The one on the left wears a simple wreath of flowers around his neck, while the one on the right wears in addition, the traditional, elaborate headdress of the Almabtrieb.
The Almabtrieb celebration takes place at the end of summer when the cows are brought down from high pastures in the Alps to the valleys below. It is traditional for the Bavarians to celebrate this passage in traditional dress.
These special hand-carved cows have been created by Hartmut Hennig of Deutschneudorf (just adjacent to Seiffen, the toy-making center of Germany) in the Erzgebirge mountains of Eastern Germany. They stand just an inch and half tall and are really quite exquisite.
You may also enjoy visiting our Bavarian board on Pinterest - where you will find images of so many things Bavarian, from food to costume to special places to visit.
Cooking Pot
New for 2013, Inge-Glas' Cooking Pot comes in four classic colors - blue, red, green, and flame -
all reminiscent of the cast iron pots from France made by Le Creuset that we are all so familiar with.
Click on the images above to find them in our shop.
A celebration of the cook in all of us and perfect for the Christmas tree. A remembrance of that delectable stew or soup filling our kitchens with an irresistible aroma.
You may enjoy exploring Le Creuset's manufacturing process and their iconic colors.
Pistachié – the Tenth (10th) Essential Santon for a Provençal Creche
Pistachié is number 10 on the list of the top 20 Essential Santons for a Provençal Creche. He is available in all four Marcel Carbonel Santons sizes offered by My Growing Traditions. He wears a cotton cap and has evidently dressed rather quickly as his trousers are held up by a single strap of his bracers. As the Carbonel Dictionary notes, he holds a lantern in one hand and a bucket in the other in Sizes #2, 1, and Puce, and a lantern and a broom in Size #3.
He is a figure drawn from numerous early Christmas plays, especially Antoine Maurel’s Pastorale, but others as well, and each portrays him with a slightly different personality. In the nativity he carries presents to the Christ Child. A farmhand, he is timid--even a little fearful--and not very bright, but he is jovial and a willing helping hand. In Maurel's Pastorale he adds comic relief to the play when it takes the entire village to rescue him after he falls into a well trying to fetch Margarido's donkey some water. And, he is renown for being a womanizer. His name, derives from the pistachio tree,
a common Provençal scrubland shrub. The pistachio is said to be an aphrodisiac.
In the pastorale Yvan Audouard of Jean-Francois Audibert, Pistachié is the husband of Honorine, a fishmonger.
Chef's Hat
The Chef's Hat, is one of Inge-Glas of Germany's new Christmas ornaments for 2013.
The chef's hat is a part of a traditional chef's uniform. Sir William Orpen's ca. 1929 painting of that traditional uniform
in Le Chef de l'Hotel Chatham, Paris is owned by the Royal Academy of Arts in London. It is an exquisite depiction of that classic Chef's uniform, including the hat, also known as a toque. The toque (French for "white hat") was especially popular throughout Europe, and particularly in France, from the 13th to the 16th centuries. It is worn to this day by professional chefs, for sanitary reasons to be certain, but also simply because of its tradition. It is said that the present day Chef's Hat was popularized by the famous French chefs Marie-Antoine Careme and Auguste Escoffier.
Inge-Glas' Chef's Hat is a fun addition to the Christmas tree for any gourmet, cook, foodie, or for anyone who simply enjoys a celebration of food.
Santa Gift Box
When we visited the workshop of Bettina Franke in Deutschneudorf (a little town just adjacent to Seiffen, the center of the Christmas wood-carving area in the Erzgebirge), Germany, we fell in love with her work.
Over time, we have carried her Nativity sets (and they remain a favorite), and other creations, but we are especially fond of her Santa Gift Box.
Tucked inside the hand-made wooden box are: a hand-carved Santa carrying a lantern and pulling a sled with toys, two hand-carved wooden trees and two hand-carved deer. The box is complete with leather hinges and a red bow. The box is 2-1/2" high and deep and 2-3/4" wide. It is indeed a wonderful gift, but also a delightful scene for your fireplace mantle or Christmas table. Return them after the season into the little wooden box for safe-keeping until next year.
The Gypsy – the Ninth (9th) Essential Santon for a Provençal Creche
The Gypsy - La Bohemienne (French) - Lou Boumian (Provençaux) – is number 9 on the list of the top 20 Essential Santons for a Provençal Creche. They are available in various versions in all four Marcel Carbonel Santons sizes offered by My Growing Traditions.
Their inclusion in the Santons' creche first occurred in 1820 and originates with early productions of the nativity story, in the Creche-Parlante and in Antoine Maurel’s Pastorale.
The bohemians include those known as Gypsies, the Tzians, and the Gitans. As a group they have long lived in Provence. They have their own patron Saint - Saint Sara. Every year on May 24 there is a pilgrimmage in the Camargue in her honor. The gypsies are of swarthy complexion and live a nomadic life travelling in caravans throughout Provence in colorful, horse-drawn carts doing whatever they can to eke out a living.
In August 1888, Vincent Van Gogh, who spent some time in Provence, especially Arles, created this wonderful oil painting: The Caravans - Gypsy Camp Near Arles
Dressed in clothing of the colors of the rainbow, with a scarf around their neck, and wearing a traditional pleated skirt, Gypsy women are known for playing their tambourines, singing, dancing, and telling fortunes. They ask for whatever contribution the audiences may wish to give. In Sizes #1 (Cricket), #2 (Elite) and #3 (Grande) the gypsy woman carries a tambourine and her baby. In Size Puce (Flea) she has a monkey by her side.
The men entertain as well with their animals at village festivals, here with their bears - available in all four sizes
and here with a guitar - available in Size #2 and Size #1 -
but the men also provide a variety of itinerant services: fixing farm equipment, repairing wheels, clipping dogs, reseating chairs, and repairing pots and pans.
The gypsies are watched closely, and in fact are often feared, by the villagers as they have a reputation for thievery to include whatever they may find useful, including chickens, and even children. The Gypsy and the Highwayman are often interchanged in being blamed for the stealing of the Blind Man's son. Sometimes the Tramp is seen to have wicked intentions and is clumped together with them.
They are included in the celebration of Christ's birth (an indication of the realization of how far the depth of redemption extends) - although they are said to have stayed at a safe distance from the manger, due to their reputation for stealing babies.
The former pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Manchester, New Hampshire, Father Charles DesRuisseaux, has a Santons collection once displayed annually at the diocesan museum. He tells the legend of the "Gypsy Séraphin who hears the Angel Boufarèu blow his trumpet to announce that le Bon Dieu (the Good God) 'has become a daddy.' For the first time in his life, Séraphin feels guilty for stealing. He tries to give Mary the stolen chicken and eggs, but Mary tells him, 'I realize you have a big heart, but my Son would prefer that you give them back to their owner.'. . . From that day, the Gypsy never stole again.”
For photos of the history and workshop of Carbonel enjoy our Marcel Carbonel Santons board on Pinterest.
