Beginning in 1954, an annual Christmas Display has been going on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, due to the dedication and hard work of Loretta Hines Howard. Howard began collecting crèche figures in 1925 and came up with the idea to display these figures set up as a nativity scene alongside with decorated Christmas trees for the public to see in the holiday season. Throughout the years, new crèche figures have been given to the museum and Howard’s ancestors have carried on her legacy in adding to the presentation.
Now, what exactly are these crèche figures? In a normal nativity set, there are figures representing all who were around when Jesus was born in a manger. These crèche figures are those figures that are in a normal nativity set, except these crèche figures are like little works of art themselves. They are like small sculptures, ranging from 6 to 20 inches in height and appear lifelike. They are made out of terracotta, and were worked on by many famous artists in Naples, Italy. My mother had actually seen this display when she was in her twenties and she said it was beautiful. I think over the break I would like to go see it because I’m sure these pictures don’t do it justice. I have seen many nativity scenes before and I’m sure the overwhelming amount of such intricate figures would be something worth seeing. Here is a link to the article for anyone who is interested in learning more. Below, I will put some pictures 🙂
The tree and the ornaments are a yearly favorite at the Met. This is one of those traditions that New Yorkers share. Decorating the house for an annual festival (whatever it may be, Labor Day?) allows a group (members of a family, a religion or an ethnic group) to mark the passage of time. The tree and ornaments at the Met raise this tradition to the realm of high art.