My #monomad challenge entry.
When was the last time you saw or bought something handmade? Not just handmade, but exquisitely made by hand.I can't remember, but I do know an exquisite thing or things when I see them.
These Nativity figurines are my Mother's.She remembers them being put up at Christmas when she was a child and she's now 91.So these are very old.I found them in a box clearing up her house and during Covid I had time to really see the detail and intricate craftsmanship that went into them.I cleaned them up and restored them to their former glory.Take a bit of time to really note the details.
I'm not a figurine or doll lover but these 10cm high pieces intrigued me with the painstaking attention to detail that someone decades ago paid to them.
These figures are made of porcelain,tin,silk,gold thread,glass,copper and wood and have been hand painted.Where they were made is unknown.
The beauty of these pieces is that singly they are beautiful but together they tell a story.A story that generations have been able to see come to life in these pieces.They will be around to tell this story for years after plastic dolls and cheap homogenous crap has fallen to bits.
In this era of endless data, mass produced plastic "stuff",3d printing, indentured labour and robots making things craftsmanship is not a goal nor outcome.
I wonder what happiness these figures will bring to our children and grandchildren long after we're gone.One thing is for sure they will still be around,testament to another era when hand made was the norm not the exception.
Thanks for reading this post.
