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NATIVITY SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE ZAGREB ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM

Nativity scenes as we know them today came to Croatia from Central Europe, where, in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was fashionable to display them in churches. From there they also moved into private spaces. Their appearance and later spread are attributed to the ecclesiastical orders, especially the Jesuits and the Franciscans. After World War I and from the 1990s onward, they experienced a resurgence in the new socio-political circumstances. As part of domestic Christmas decorations, they appeared in central and northwestern Croatia as early as the 19th century and in other regions somewhat later.

Nativity scene, Prague, 1910s, serial production, EMZ 48737

Although serially produced nativity scenes had already existed in the 19th century, they began to spread alongside homemade nativities in the first half of the 20th century. Among them, paper nativities printed in colour on larger sheets of paper were particularly represented. At the beginning of the 20th century the production of so-called “folk nativity scenes” (in the folkloric style) also came into fashion, featuring figures wearing recognizable traditional clothing of a particular region and often showing well-known local views.

Paper nativity scene – “Yugoslavian nativity scene”, Ljubljana, 1920, printed from a template by Maksim Gaspari, EMZ 59446

Nowadays individual parts of a nativity scene can be bought, but they also continue to be made at home – for example, the figures are bought while the scenery is homemade and the other way around. Their production is therefore an excellent example of folk and amateur art and the artistic expression of individual makers, regions, and periods.

Paper nativity scene in a drawer, Zagreb, around 1942, Parac family, EMZ 51829

Home crib makers employ materials available in their environment. In the past, natural materials such as wood, moss, and the like were used most, while the advent of industrially produced materials introduced new materials for home use. Today the choice of crib-making materials is very wide and includes different types of foil and coloured paper, plastic, polystyrene, and the like.

Nativity scene, Donja Kupčina, 1992, Zoran Petrčić, EMZ 28374

Besides houses, nativity scenes were also “built” in churches. Church nativity scenes are larger, and the tradition of setting them up is older than that of homemade nativities. Their original purpose was theological and educational. The connection between church and house nativity scenes is seen in the intertwining of artistic expressions. Church nativity scenes were usually built by skilled craftsmen or commissioned artists, but there are also examples built by skilled folk artists who often based their expression on artistic or handcrafted church nativities with characteristics of a particular art period.

Church nativity scene, Dekanovec, 1920, Florijan Andrašec, EMZ 49796

In addition to houses and churches, since the end of the 20th century nativity scenes have been reappearing in Croatia in other public spaces and at numerous Advent exhibitions. At the same time, crib associations are also appearing, bringing together mainly amateur artists by organizing exhibitions and hosting works. Therefore, in addition to the ecclesiastical, public, living, and domestic nativity scenes, authorial/artistic nativity scenes can also be listed as a subtype.

Nativity scene, Zagreb, beginning of the 21st century, made by members of the Croatian Association of Friends of the Crib

Adults	8,00€
Pupils, students, pensioners	5,50€
Preschool children	2,00€
ICOM tours, PRESS cards	free

NATIVITY SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE ZAGREB ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM

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