Handmade Nativity with Menagerie (Small Size)

Description

I design, carve, and cast the pieces myself. I cast them in modified gypsum (a very strong building material) with bronze powder. The pieces come boxed, can stand or hang (there's a hook on the back), and can go outside. Each piece comes with a history card stating: "Biblical scholars in recent years have expanded upon the implications of the fact that Mary, immediately after giving birth to Jesus, placed him in a manger: a trough in a stable used to feed livestock. Jesus, then, was most likely surrounded by animals when he was born. Indeed, the first beings, besides Joseph and Mary, that Jesus would have seen would have been animals. Many have suggested that this fact suggests that Jesus came to offer good news not only to human beings but also to all creatures in nature. An Italian legend takes up this theme, proposing that a mother cat gave birth to a litter of kittens just as Mary gave birth to Jesus. This nativity scene with many animals was hand carved by Hank Schlau, who cast the piece in a resilient architectural material. The piece was then hand painted by Karen Schlau." Dimensions: 4.75 (h) x 6.5 (w) x 1.75 (d) inches.