creche herald
for all who love, own or collect a creche
Vol. 1, No. 3 Fall 1997
LOOKING TOWARD A HAPPY BIRTHDAY
As the frenetic holiday season approache s, I like to recall my friend's description of a serene Christmas Eve at her home when she was a child.
It seems that in the week before Christmas, all the Nativity figures , except the Babe, were placed in the creche . On Christmas Eve, everyone dressed for dinner for the birthday celebration of the Christ Child . After the meal , her mother brought a beautifully decorated cake with a single lighted candle to the dinner table. That was the signal for the Christ Child to be brought in
As my friend was the youngest family member , she enjoyed the honor of canying the Infant Jesus to the table With the Christ Child's entrance, everyone sang "Happy Birthday " Then, cake and ice cream were served. Afterward , the little figure was placed in the manger
She recalls that family birthday party to honor the Infant Jesus and the creche as "always being the nicest part of Christmas." Rita B. Bacher, Publisher
EXHIBITS AND EVENTS CELEBRATE THE SEASON
(Free unless otherwise noted)
Alaska
*Fairbanks. Zion Lutheran Church 2136 McCullam Avenue. Ice figures . From about Dec . 23-Mar. 3 I. 907-456-7660.
Arkansas
• Eureka Springs. Wings Victorian Home. 207 Kingshighway Int') creche display. Mar. 1-Nov 30. $5.00 adults; $2 50 children. 1-800-MANSION.
District of Columbia.
*Washington's National Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul , Rare Book Library. Nov 24-Jan 6 10am-4pm.
Maryland
*Kensington. Washington Temple Visitors Center of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 9900 Stoney ·Brook Dr. Int'! display Dec 4-Jan 5 301-587-0144
Michigan
• Ann Arbor. Domino's Farms. 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr. Drive-through light display, creches. Nov. 21-Dec. 31. 6pm. -1 0pm Donations $5- 7 Money to charity. 313-930-4430.
*Ann Arbor Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 1385 Green Rd. 900 displays. Dec 5-8. 313-683-0633.
Missouri
*Kirkwood. Concordia Lutheran Church. 505 S. Kirkwood Rd. Moravian Putz. First Sun. Advent to Jan. 6. Donations to charity.
Nebraska
*Boys Town Displays in December.
New York
*Liverpool. King ofKings Lutheran Church. 8278 Oswego Rd. Live Nativity Mid Dec 315-695-2534.
*New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art. 18th C Italian presepio. Late Nov.-Jan 6 Museum fee. 212-923-3700
Ohio
*Dayton University of Dayton Marian Library Extensive yearround and seasonal displays 8 :30am-4pm weekdays when University is open 937-229-4214
Oklahoma
• Apache. First United Methodist Church 2nd Sun. Advent for one week . 405-588-2426 .
Pennsylvania.
*Bethlehem. Town-wide events. Moravian Putz displays Nov 28-Dec. 31 . 1-800-360-8687.
*Chadds Ford. American Christmas Museum. Rte 1 Tues-Sun. 9:30am-5:30pm. $3.50 adults. 610-388-0600.
*Malvern. Malvern Prep. School. 418 S. Warren Ave. Int'! display. Dec 8-Dec.20 By apptmt. 610-644-5454.
*Pittsburgh . Carnegie Museum of Art. 18th C . Italian presepio . Dec. 3-Jan.4. Museum fee 410-622-3131
Washington
*Bellingham International creche competition Entries due Nov. I. No charge to enter. Exhibit to Jan 6. 360-734-9757
email: gdrake@creche org
Compiled by Mary B. Herzel, a writer in Harrisburg, PA.
Fall 1997 creche herald
Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God 's great Judgment Seat ; Rudyard Kipling, The Ballad of East and West
SEEING THE CRECHE IN THE EYES OF EAST AND WEST
by Johann G. Roten , S.M
The representation of the Nativity as we know it today, enriched with angels and shepherds, ox and ass, and the pensive Joseph , is said to have been commissioned by the emperor Constantine the Great and painted on a fresco for the first time in Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity According to tradition , it served as an example for later reproductions, among them the famous ampullae or flasks of Monza from the 6th century . Two different traditions of creche representations have resulted.
For the Byzantine painters, and in Slavic countries, the birth of Christ is an object of meditation; those filled with faith pause in wonderment before the mystery of the incomprehensible love of God Since God remains the same and is on his way to us with eternal constancy, the image when reproduced is not to be changed in any way.
Thus, in the East, the icons of the Christmas event are all very similar. Whether it is the 11th century representation from the Daphni Monastery in Athens, one from the 14th century Church of the Savior (Kariye Djami) in Istanbul, or a Christmas icon attributed to Andrei Rublev, the finest Russian icon painter of the 15th century, they are all nourished by text and tradition; all of them repeat the movement of God's love toward his creation. A shaft of light binds nature and supernature, and the Incarnation and Redemption are symbolically united in the creche which also represents the grave
In contrast , the Christmas art of the West is more varied and colorful, mainly, because here , God ' s Incarnation has less to do with its divine origin than with its human embodiment when set forth in images. Epoch, style, taste and religious sentiment--the Christmas representations of the West are a faithful seismograph of religious culture and mood swings. From the Catalan Christmas of So lsona , 12th century Spain , to the rotating forms of mother and child in the abstract works of artist Albert Gleizes (1881-1953 ), the West has designed endless variations on God ' s Incarnation These center mainly on earth ' s answer to the visible manifestation of God's mystery Even the mystical Christmas meditation
of a Botticelli is , in spite of its light-footed and cloudbillowing angel ballet, firmly rooted in this world .
What contemporary theology describes as Christology from below, essentially thinking about the man , Jesus, on a predominantly human level, is not a new creation of our time. It is deeply rooted in the way western peoples see themselves. The religious feeling of the West , to a great extent, also the western Church, has always centered on the human person and the search and struggle for God What determines the relationship between God and human beings begins in the West with people, in the East with God. Yet in the East as well as the West , the creche image is centered on the Child. A magical attraction flows from Him, under His spell , the world grows quiet in profound peace
Rev Johann G. Roten, SM , is Executive Director of the Marian Library-Marian Research Institute , University ofDayton, Ohio
NaJivity and dream of Joseph . 12th century. Museo Arqueol 6gico Diocesano , Solsona , Spain .
???? and COMMENTS
{). The Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. are frankincense and myrrh?
A.Frankincense is a gum resin containing volatile oils, and is obtained from the first cuttings of the bark of various East African and Arabian trees (genus Boswellia) It was valued in ancient times for worship and embalming
Frankincense is mentioned several times in the Old Testament as one of the treasures of the Temple in Jerusalem, and was the chief ingredient of the Temple incense A potion of wine and frankincense was prepared for those condemned to death "that they should not suffer." Still used in some churches today , frankincense gives off a pleasant and distinctive odor when burned
Myrrh is made from a fragrant sap present under the bark of various East African and Arabian • shrubs and trees (genus Commiphora) The word mynh, coming from the Hebrew mor, refers to its bitter taste
One of the most important perfumes of antiquity, mynh is referred to in the Old Testament more than any other fragrance (11 times) It also was used as an ingredient in incense, as a topical medical remedy , and in embalming An anointing oil was made by dissolving the congealed granules of myrrh in olive oil. In modem times, myrrh finds usage in dentifrices, perfumes and tonics
THE NATNITY created by the House of Faberge
TRUDEL CAPTURES NATNITIES IN WOOD
If you had asked Robin Edward Trudel , a computer professional , ten years ago whether he'd be a well known wood carver some day, he probably would have thought you were crazy "I'd never done anything like that in my life," he explains
Then, in 1990 , a friend gave him a pine block and carving knife for Christmas "My first effort, " he laughs, "was a mushroom." He admits that he initially experienced somewhat of a learning curve . "Not only didn't I have basic tools such as a band saw, I didn't even know the sculptural qualities of the different woods On my first wood purchase , I bought Douglas fir which is really tough to work. That was a mistake I've never repeated."
Before Trudel developed his own style, he says he haunted woodworking stores for patterns. "I knew what I wanted to create , but I wasn't sure how to do it. It was really helpful to get step by step instruction from professionals ."
From those early uncertain efforts, Trudel has matured into a sought after carver himself, and has been President of the New England Wood Carvers for the past two years. He works on commission, and also exhibits at craft shows and church fairs "As my wood carving skills have become honed, I've been able to express my own ideas , as well as capture the feelings that clients want for their collections , " he says.
•Trudel sculpts almost exclusively in pine. "Pine is a beautiful wood to manipulate I add touches of exotic woods such as olive wood. I have a friend who lives in the Holy Land and he sends me pieces of that marvelous material with its beautiful grain."
This carver does not paint his works . "The intrinsic beauty of the wood grain adds so much to a piece ," he explains. " that I think that's the way wood carvings should be enjoyed "
During this past year ,. in addition to Nativity figures, Tmdel has created a line of patron saints . One is of St. Francis of Assisi in which the gentle saint is depicted setting up the figures of the Nativity; another is of St. Peregrine, patron of cancer patients
Prices for Trudel's works start at about twenty dollars for small figures and progress upward
Robin Edward Trudel can be reached at 271 Bouchard Avenue , Dracut , MA 01826-2229 , 508-9574199, and on e-mail at rtrudel @ tiac .net.
BUILDING A MORAVIAN PUTZ
by Roy Ledbetter
The Christmas Garden tradition of south Germany probably was the beginning of the Moravian Putz . Moravians, one of the earliest German Protestant groups , embraced the Christmas Garden as a means of impressing upon visitors the Good News that the Baby in the Manger is God become Human for all of us. When they emigrated to Pennsylvania and North Carolina in the 18th century, the Moravian Brethren brought their traditions with them. In 1759 , the Moravian settlement in Bethabara, North Carol ma , built a Christmas Putz to share the Christmas Message with the many refugees-most of whom knew no German--who had sought refuge during the deprivations of the French and Indian War.
A Putz can be as elaborate as the builder wishes. The only essential part is that the Baby in the Manger be the focal point. All eyes must be drawn to Him, all the action directed at Him, as He is the reason for its being. When I was in high school, I built my Putz on the family piano; now I devote a whole room to its successor which is built against a background of five Christmas trees.
Many Putzes, like mine, begin with prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures; others begin with the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Most stop with the Flight into Egypt of the Holy Family, although some continue with the Life of Christ, including the first miracle at the Wedding in Cana. Another tradition is of telling the story of the Easter Holy Week with a "creche."
The Putz is built on tables or platforms. Different levels can be achieved with something as simple as boxes of different sizes placed on the platform. Many builders include lighting in their construction which should be added before any landscaping is done. Christmas tree lights on cords illuminate the scenes very well and can be wired to switches so the individual scenes can be lighted as the Christmas Story is read. The lights should be concealed in the landscaping behind rocks or other elements so that they shed light on the figures but are invisible to the viewer. A very old Putz builder trick is covering the levels and platform with a cloth--dark green is best , although I use blue, gold and burnt umber hopsacking . The lights are pulled up through holes made in the cloth and then concealed behind rocks. (Beware of lights too near combustible materials).
Landscaping is formed from moss gathered in the woods during the Fall in sheets as large as possible. Keep the moss fresh by layering in boxes between sheets
of newspaper. While moss can be purchased conveniently from floral supply houses, the moss gathering in the woods can be a family tradition of great fun and warmth Going out into the woods also provides an opportunity to find drift wood, stumps, interesting rocks and the like which enliven the landscape and help hide the lighting.
Once the scenes are arranged and all the figures placed, then fresh greenery can be used to "punctuate" the Putz. Holly is beautiful as are juniper, fir and cedar which lend a marvelous fragrance, especially if artificial trees are used.
The Putz should be built on low platforms so that it is visible to the smallest child. However, their enthusiasm must be bridled, and I have found the traditional white fence of the Christmas Garden to be indispensable.
Putz building is fun and a witness to the Greatest Story of all.
Roy Ledbetter is a Moravian minister in St. Louis, Missouri, and archivist for the Episcopal diocese of Missouri. His Putz is displayed in Kirkwood, MO.
A TRADITION CONTINUES AT BOYS TOWN
by Cindy Halley
From the hand-crafted Nativity sets made by the first children ofFather Flanagan's Boys' Home, to the lifesize manger scene that stands every Christmas high above the Boys Town village, the creche has been a strong presence from the beginning.
Father Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, a non-denominational home for children, insisted on having a Nativity scene at Boys Town every year. He knew the creche was an excellent means of spreading the love and joy of Christmas. The creche became such a loved tradition that at one time, a creche could be found in front of every cottage in the village.
Many of the first children at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home constructed ceramic creches in vocational education course. These creches sold in the Boys Town gift shop, allowing the children to help fund their Home.
Each Christmas season a large creche is set high atop the Boys Town Music Hall. The beautiful display can be seen from miles around. It is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. A smaller creche is also on display at the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
The creche is also brought to life. Each year, the children of Boys Town's Wegner Middle School reenact "The Greatest Story Ever Told," using both a Biblical and a Spanish background version of the Christmas story. Children perform all the parts, and they even have an infant to play the role of the Infant Jesus.
A time honored tradition since the founding of Boys Town eighty years ago, the creche continues to hold a special place in its Christmas celebrations today. Cindy Halley is a writer at Boys Town, Nebraska -
CARMELITE MONASTERY IS GIIT SOURCE
Free catalogue for hand carved icons, angels, nativities, note cards and ornaments is available. Note cards made with dried Monastery flowers are $2 each; carvings range from$ IO to $30.
Dovecote Gift Shop, Carn1elite Monastery 17037 250th Street, Eldridge, Iowa 52748-9425
Tel: 319-285-8387 Fax: 319-285-7467
e-mail: solitude@netins.net
fax: 703-421-9386; e-mail: peggyphd@aol.com
SEE THE HOME ALONE CRECHE AT D.C. BASILICA
In the movie, Home Alone, a life-size creche is briefly seen. That is a duplicate of the one given by an anonymous donor, some years ago, to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Editor/publisher: Rita B. Bocher Office: I 17 Crosshill Road
Web page: E-mail address: Wynnewood, PA 19096-3511
U.S.A.
www.op.net/-bocassoc/ crecher@op.net
FROM OUR READERS:
Please enter my subscription to the creche herald. I enjoyed the first issue so much so that I did not want to spoil the back page by cutting it up.
I have been a nativity set collector for the past 23 years. My first set came to me as a birthday present from my card club girls, who at that time were going to ceramic class, as a 40th birthday present.
So 23 years later, I have in my collection about 165 different sets--some 3 pieces, others 15 and more. They come from all over the world , and in many types of media. I love my collection--each set has special meaning and although some of them are very inexpensive, they have sentimental value.
Also, collecting them has become a family event. Whenever my daughters, my husband, my brothers and my sister see a set, the big question is "I wonder if Marilynn has this one?"
Sincerely, Marilynn Schanely
Quakertown, PA
The Herald arrived Thursday, and I promptly read it from cover to cover. It is a wonderful beginning to a magazine that I hope will be around for a long time.
During a 1992 Christmas trip, I came upon a wonderful nativity in Mexico City quite by accident. It seems that a large Mexican bank sponsors the annual display of this incredible piece of artwork. The display is called "La Paloma" and is housed in a colonial Spanish • palace near the main square. This last Christmas, I was back in Mexico City and found the set again in the same place, but now it is twice as large. The whole scene is about 25 feet square and is a continuous village ending with the Nativity.
James Johnston
Corpus Christi, TX
GURULE'S SCENES EVOKE THE SOUTHWEST
"Art has always been part of my life," says leading New Mexico sculptor, Jill Gurule, "and I love the Southwest. We moved here seventeen years from Louisiana, but it feels as if this has always been my home."
Gurule's widely prized work is done in a high fire earthenware clay. "The clay is a dark reddish color," she explains, "It reminds me of the vast reddish landscape of the Southwest. Even after firing , the figures retain those marvelously warm earth tones "
All of the artist's work is hand made; no molds of any kind are ever used. "Because everything is hand done, I have to start my Nativity figures in the beginning of the year so I will have enough for the Christmas season," she notes. "I also hand paint all the figures with a non firing paint. That's what keeps the colors so bright. The unglazed process also helps make the figures more affordable," she adds. Tepees, at times, replace the Southwestern dwelling for the Holy Family .
One of her popular Nativity scenes for 1997, El Nicho, is created in various versions. Sometimes, it is just Mary, Joseph and Jesus; sometimes the Three Wise Men are included. Figures in the scene are two to three inches high and each requires about a half day's work.
Gurule's sculptures are shown exclusively in The Shop, an art gallery in Santa Fe, where they quickly fly off the shelves. This past summer, she created a sculpture of the Church of San Miguel in Santa Fe, probably the oldest Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Already sold, the nearly 60 pieces of the sculpture were only two inches high.
Jill Gurule's work is available through The Shop, 116 East Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501. 1-800-525-5764.
Shown below is "Pueblo Nativity" by Jill Gurule. Figures are 2" to 2 ½ "high. Moon is gold leaf
Fall 1997 creche herald page 7 Great Masters of the Nativity
A periodic glance at the great artists in history and their depiction of the creche
PETER PAUL RUBENS 1577-1640
He was a Renaissance man, an artist 's artist, a genius blessed with great intellect , good looks , abundant energy, and an even temperament. And rounding him out was a clear head for business and organization.
Yet it was said of the painter Rubens by a friend and contemporary, General Ambrogio Spinola, "Of all his talents, painting is the least." Renowned as a diplomat-he successfully negotiated peace between England and Spain in 1630--Rubens was a Christian humanist , a learned classicist, carried on an enormous correspondence in several languages , and was an amateur architect.
"Rubens was phenomenally successful,"notes Joseph Rishel, Senior Curator of European Painting Before 1900 at the Philadelphia Museum of A.11 "He received clerics and kings, and was part of the CounterReformation moving out ofltaly in the 16th century. His range of subjects was incredible and he was truly a panEuropean artist."
Born of Flemish parents living in temporary exile in the German town of Siegen in Westphalia, Rubens' formal artistic training began at I 4 Less than ten years later, he was admitted to the painters ' Guild of St. Luke, had his own pupil and was on his way to Italy Rubens was enchanted with Italy, and judging by the commissions received, Italy was enchanted with him .
The painting below , Adoration of the Shepherds, done in 1608 , for the Oratorian Church of San Filippo Neri at Fe1mo, was completed just befo re Rubens left Italy in 1609, never to return again . He later repeated the theme for a church in AntweqJ.
YEAR-ROUND SPECTACLE IN MUNICH
by Gle1111a Tooman
One of the world ' s finest coll ections of creches is located at the National Museum of Bavaria in Munich , Germany. The core of the collection was the gift of Max Schmederer ( 1854-1917), who was the Munich Councillor of Commerce . Schmederer be gan collecting creches as a child . His collection eventuall y grew to includ e figures from Bavaria, Tyrol , and Italy , and included background settings that he designed himself. The settings resembled a hillside , cave, grotto, or the ruins of a temple Each setting was intended to enhance the Biblical narrative concerning the figures
In the l 870's, the Councillor began opening his home and collection to the public each Christmas . By 1892 the annual event attracted so many people that Schmederer donated the collection to the National Museum. Each year , until his death a quarter of a century later, Schmederer supervised the Museum ' s Christmas displa y of his creches
Most of the original background sets were destroyed during World War II, but the individual creche figures survived . By 1959, new sets had been constructed and the creches were again on display . During the last twenty years, the Museum has added to the collection by purchasing creches from major European design centers
The Museum continues to display each creche in its own unique setting, some of which are room-sized and contain near life-size figure s Each group of figures is different. All contain the Holy Family, but other participants vary Some scenes include shepherds ; others include the Magi , angels , animals or townspeople. Individual figures are moved about in the settings as the Christmas season progresses .
Displays are open to the public year-round, but they are at their finest during the Christmas season . Glenna Tooman is a creche and ang el collector in Bo ise , Idaho.
