Nativities of the World

Book excerpt: Nativities from around the world in a dazzling variety of styles Nearly one hundred nativities from all over the world—most of which have never before appeared in any book—are collected here. Artisans from locales as diverse as the Czech Republic, Guyana, Burkina Faso, and Bangladesh are represented. There are nativities made with materials ranging from hand-carved wood, blown glass, and wool, to more unique materials such as salt dough, dried maguey cactus, and recycled bicycle parts. The artistry, ingenuity, and diversity of these creations are greatly prized by thousands of nativity collectors worldwide, many of whom have graciously allowed pieces from their own collections to be photographed for this book. Susan Topp Weber has owned and operated Susan’s Christmas Shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for more than thirty years. She has a prized collection of nativities herself, which began with a gift in 1965, and has sold nativities at her shop since 1978. She is the author of Christmas in Santa Fe.