At times you can find costume and fashion inspirations in unlikely places including nativity scenes from the Neapolitan tradition. We looked at some examples in previous years, also from special collections like the Met Museum in New York.
For those who may be travelling to Prague during the festive season, there is the chance to admire the Presepe del Re ("The King's Nativity Scene") at the local Italian Institute of Culture (until 18th January). On display in the Baroque chapel of the institute, but usually preserved in Rome at the Museum of Civilizations, this nativity scene is peculiar for its reference to King Ferdinand IV of Naples.
While before him nativity scenes followed specific rules: Jesus was born in a manger, so usually the main group of the nativity scene with the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the Baby Jesus was placed in an environment similar to a stable, located in the centre of the scene, maybe on top of a mountain; on the left there were usually the sleeping shepherds and the animals, while on the right a village with people going on about their lives and enjoying themselves, oblivious to the birth of Jesus.
Under Ferdinand IV, things became less strict, characters and scenes weren't rigidly separated, and nativity artisans started breaking the rules, maintaining certain settings like the inn or the houses, but placing the Holy Family in a temple with elegant neoclassical columns.
While the sets like the houses made with expanded polyurethane and wood were created in more recent years by artisan Nicola Maciariello, the characters (the scene includes around 100 figures) date from the 18th and 19th century and were restored (over the course of 12 years) by Nicolò Giacalone.
Ethnologist Lamberto Loria collected the figures in 1911 for the Exhibition of Italian Ethnography held in Rome for the 50th anniversary of the Unification of Italy.
The heads of the characters are made in terracotta, while their hands and feet are made in wood; the eyes of the characters and the animals are instead made of glass and each figurine is usually signed by the artisan who made them (you will usually find the signature under the clothes, often on the chest of the characters).
The clothes shouldn't make the man nor the woman, but in this case it is the opposite as we identify the characters and their roles in accordance with what they are wearing.
Shepherds wear modest attires, often in just one colour, usually neutral ones; the ordinary people populating the streets of Naples and carrying out everyday activities wear slightly more complex designs with buttons and some decorative elements; the clothes of merchants incorporate embroidered sections and sequins, while nobles, clad in fine bright fabrics and wearing shirts and jackets with exquisite details, also wear beautiful accessories, including coral earrings and necklaces. Besides, one of the Three Kings wears a cloak made with bright red silk from San Leucio, near Caserta, covered in silver and gold embroideries.
The details in this nativity scene are intriguing, especially when it comes to the accessories: St. Joseph wears delicate ankle tie sandals, other characters wear leather boots in sensible colours like brown or in more peculiar shades like bright blue and green.
There are symbolisms behind some of these characters: the group of people asking for alms located under the angels represent the souls in Purgatory asking for prayers and create a sort of channel between Heaven and Earth.
Quite often these nativity scenes are monumental: this one occupies 25 square meters, but the secret while looking at these scenes, is trying to spot the details, from the fine ceramic vases and wax fruit and vegetables (a technique that should be rediscovered maybe to create very unique pieces of modern jewelry...) to the laundry drying on the balconies.
In the case of this nativity scene there is also an "anarchic" element: in the 1700s King Charles of Bourbon banned lottery gambling during Christmas time, but this nativity scene features a lotto place, that is a shop where people can play the lottery with a board with numbers on the door, and a combination of religious and pagan elements, with an image of Saint Januarius in the background and a table with a tiny red horn-shaped talisman, the trademark amulet Neapolitans rely on for good luck. All these elements are testament to the high quality craftsmanship of these scenes related to popular cultures.
Comments