Painted Wood Nativity
Hand Carved
Philippines

Artisans in the village of Tam-an, in the Cordillera mountain ranges of the Philippines, create this 11-piece nativity set. The figures are carved from Labo, a local white wood, using only hand chisels. Each piece is hand-painted. The artisans’ work supplements their income from farming.

Some 20 artisans are involved with the workshop creating these nativity sets. They are passing on their wood carving skills to the next generation, presenting them with a valuable means of earning a living with dignity.

• Painted wood
• Set of 11 pieces
• 6H inches
• Made in Philippines

Folding Nativity Scene with strap - Wheat Straw
Bangladesh

This fold-up nativity is made from wheat straw. Artisans cut and flatten wheat straw and scrape it with a knife to make it even. For larger pieces, wheat straw strips are fixed to paper to form a sheet from which designs are cut. For more detailed designs wheat straw is cut into thin strips which are pieced together in layers. Artisans apply heat in varying degrees to bring about the range of tones from light tan to dark brown or black. Finally they cover the cardboard base with cloth to complete the item. Craftspeople use simple tools: a flat board, a pot of glue, a sharp blade and a pair of scissors.

No two sets are identical.

Nativity Set
Sandbag
Philippines

This nativity is handmade from different pieces of cloth materials and filled with sand.


Each one is unique.
No two sets are identical.