Nativity Scene  thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Nativity Scene

1946-1984 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Nativity scene consisting of base, stable, three wise men, baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, three shepherds, an ox, a sheep and an ass.

The base is a flat irregular hexagon, on top of which a pyramidal stable stands. A tin cross is attached to the top, and underneath is the manger where the baby Jesus layss. All the figures are stylized. Baby Jesus is painted white with brown hands, brown hair, brown eyes and a tin halo. Mary is painted a dark blue colour with white painted hands, brown hair and eyes, nose and mouth, and a white painted headress. Attached to the headress is a golden halo made from paper. Joseph is painted a light blue or turquoise with white hands. He has a long brown felt beard and a golden paper halo attached to the top of his head.

Each wise man is painted in a different shade of purple with stylized white painted hands. Each figure carries an object, two of them wooden vessels and one a gold box. Two of them have golden tin crowns, brown felt beard and has brown nose, eyebrows and eyes; the third one has a painted white hat, a black felt beard and black eyebrow, eyes and nose. All of them carry objects, two wooden and one golden.

The three shepherds are painted in a different colour each, two of them green (a different shade each) and one yellow. They have brown and white hats, brown eyes, eyebrows and nose, white painted hands, white canvas headdress and a metallic golden cane.

The ox is wooden with a plaited straw tail, white felt ears and brown painted eyes and nose and white painted horns; the ass has white felt ears, plaited white thread tail, brown eyes and brown decoration on the back and neck; and the sheep has black felt ears and black painted tail and eyes



Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 14 parts.

  • Base
  • Stable
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figures
  • Figures
  • Figures
  • Figure
  • Figures
  • Ox
  • Sheep
  • Ass
Materials and techniques
Carved, turned and painted wood, cotton
Brief description
Nativity scene, wood, made by Susan Wynter, England, 1946-1984
Physical description
Nativity scene consisting of base, stable, three wise men, baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, three shepherds, an ox, a sheep and an ass.

The base is a flat irregular hexagon, on top of which a pyramidal stable stands. A tin cross is attached to the top, and underneath is the manger where the baby Jesus layss. All the figures are stylized. Baby Jesus is painted white with brown hands, brown hair, brown eyes and a tin halo. Mary is painted a dark blue colour with white painted hands, brown hair and eyes, nose and mouth, and a white painted headress. Attached to the headress is a golden halo made from paper. Joseph is painted a light blue or turquoise with white hands. He has a long brown felt beard and a golden paper halo attached to the top of his head.

Each wise man is painted in a different shade of purple with stylized white painted hands. Each figure carries an object, two of them wooden vessels and one a gold box. Two of them have golden tin crowns, brown felt beard and has brown nose, eyebrows and eyes; the third one has a painted white hat, a black felt beard and black eyebrow, eyes and nose. All of them carry objects, two wooden and one golden.

The three shepherds are painted in a different colour each, two of them green (a different shade each) and one yellow. They have brown and white hats, brown eyes, eyebrows and nose, white painted hands, white canvas headdress and a metallic golden cane.

The ox is wooden with a plaited straw tail, white felt ears and brown painted eyes and nose and white painted horns; the ass has white felt ears, plaited white thread tail, brown eyes and brown decoration on the back and neck; and the sheep has black felt ears and black painted tail and eyes

Credit line
Given by Susan Murray
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
B.76-2014

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Record createdJuly 19, 2014
Record URL
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