Blue Monday – Hutschenreuther Plate

Blue Monday is a delightful weekly feature sponsored by Sally at Smiling Sally.

The subject of this post is the latest collector’s plate added to the nativity collection. It is a porcelain plate made in Germany by Hutschenreuther.


The blue and white 9 ¾" diameter plate has a border of berries and leaves.

The illustration shows Mary with Baby Jesus, Joseph, Shepherds, an Angel and a Lamb

Enjoy more Blue Monday at Sally’s blog, Smiling Sally.

Show and Tell Friday - Mahogany Miracle Nativity

This week’s Show and Tell Friday subject is also from Enesco Corporation, as was the Friends and Brothers nativity set shown in the February 13 post.

The designer of the Mahogany Miracle and Mahogany Princess series is Ed van Rosemalen of the Netherlands. His family owns Parastone a renown European firm that is now also a manufacturer of disireable collectibles lines.

Mr. Rosemalen’s biography indicates that "he opened a new branch of his family's business, Parastone[est 18//] which was once known primarily for restoring paintings and church sculptures. Now, thanks to Ed's infusion of energy and talent, Parastone produces original artwork. Ed's own work, which is translated and produced by Parastone, has won him worldwide acclaim."

Enesco Corporation was the United States distributor of Mahogany Miracle items, since that line is now no longer in production.

In a Stable we see the figures all arranged to view the Baby Jesus. The lighting made it difficult to capture the detail carved on each figure.

Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus

The Three Miracle Kings figurines include 2 Wise Men, 1 Wise Woman

This is the Camel Driver and Camel


The Ox and the Donkey

The Ox, the elderly Shepherd Kneeling, 2 Sheep & Angel Hanging Ornament

The Angel Hanging Ornament holds a banner reading "Gloria in Excelsis Deo"

Shepherd Girl with Flock, Standing Shepherd & Palm Tree

Here are all the Shepherds and the Sheep

The complete set as displayed in the gallery:

To see more Show and Tell Friday treasures, go to Kelli’s blog, There is No Place Like Home.

Blue Monday - Hallmark Creche Ornament Figurines

A large portion of the ornaments in the Carola nativity collection are made by Hallmark Cards, Inc. Our topic for Blue Monday is a set of figures made as Christmas tree ornaments by Hallmark. They came out over a period of five years from 1995 through 1999.

Each figurine can be displayed on a tabletop or shelf, but they each have the small loop for hanging as an ornament as well.


"Heaven’s Gift" dated 1995, is made up of two pieces, Mary with Baby Jesus, and Joseph. Joseph wears a blue robe.

"Kindly Shepherd" dated 1996, gently carries a lamb on his shoulder. His turban has blue and red stripes, while his wrap is lined in blue.

"The Legend of the Three Kings" dated 1997-1999 represent "three African kings who joined other travelers to worship the infant King and offer Him their special gifts."

King Noor, 1st king – dated 1997 carries a covered lamp of gold. He wears a flowing blue robe and his headdress also incorporates two blue hues.

King Kharoof, 2nd king – dated 1998 carries a bag of finest silk.

King Mahl, 3rd king – dated 1999 carries a box of jewels.

To me, this is one of the loveliest nativity figure ornament sets made by Hallmark.

For more Blue Monday posts, please visit Smiling Sally.

Enesco Friends and Brothers Nativity

Here is a very cute nativity set by Enesco Corporation. It is from the "Friends and Brother" series, designed by Karen Hahn in 1998.

Mary reclines on a chaise with Baby Jesus, while Joseph holds up a lovely quilt. Note the bells on Joseph’s staff, which he keeps close by.

From the front and from the back the detailing is quite lovely.


There are three additional figures:

Drummer Girl Figurine

Angel With Star Figurine

Shepherd Girl With Ox Figurine

The four-piece set of Accessories includes a bowl of casava, birds and a clay jar, a dish of vegetables, and a hen nesting on a coil basket.


There are also two Nativity Trees. They are corn husk cones decorated with garlands of stars:


Isn't this a very sweet nativity scene set?

To see more Show and Tell Friday treasures, go to Kelli’s blog, There is No Place Like Home.

Blue Monday - Vintage German Nativity

For Blue Monday I’d like to share a vintage nativity made in Germany. Each piece has the word 'Germany' impressed on the side of the figure. This set is painted in delicate colors including a soft blue on some clothing worn by Mary and Baby Jesus.



The scene consists of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, an ox, a donkey, three standing sheep and one resting sheep.

This lovely porcelain set is a graceful traditional rendition of Christ's nativity.

You will enjoy more Blue Monday posts at Smiling Sally.

Show and Tell Friday – Lenox O Holy Night Ebony Nativity

Today’s post features "Oh Holy Night Ebony Nativity" from Lenox Classics African American Nativity Collection. This striking set is made of ivory porcelain with 24k gold accents.



Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, this nativity scene is made up of five sets:

Family - Mary, Joseph, Jesus 2003
Three Kings - 2 Wise Men & 1 Wise Woman 2003
Townspeople – 3
Angels - 3
Animals - Ox, Donkey, Camel

Thanks for stopping by today to view this lovely nativity scene. See more Show and Tell Friday treasures at Kelli’s blog, There is No Place Like Home.

Blue Monday: All God’s Children Nativity Series

Since the month of February is celebrated in the United States as Black Heritage Month, I will feature several ethnic sets from the nativity scenes collection which feature African-American designs.
The first one is from the All God’s Children line of decorative collectible figures created by Miss Martha. As you will see, several figures have blue in their costumes, an so, work out well for Blue Monday.

http://www.allgodschildren.biz/ gives a brief introduction to the line:
"It all began in 1985 when southern memory folk artist Martha Holcombe-Root, affectionately known as Miss Martha, sculpted her first black figurines and christened them with the name All God's Children®. Each figurine is faithfully reproduced from Miss Martha's original sculpts, individually handcrafted with a blend of crushed pecan shells and resin and is proudly made in USA. Each delightful sculpture has its own unique personality and story."

Miss Martha Originals.com gives more information about the artist and has a comprehensive catalog of her collectibles.

"All God’s Children" Nativity by Miss Martha’s Originals, Inc. The materials are resin and pecan shell flour, hand crafted in Gadsden, Alabama U.S.A.
These Black American figurines were designed by Martha Holcombe-Root and are signed and dated.
The realistically sculpted figurines represent school children who are participants in a nativity pageant led by their teacher Miss Sue. The characters shown in my photos are kids named,
Mary
Preshus as Baby Jesus
Joseph
Martin a king
Thomas a king
Stephen a shepherd
Nathaniel as drummer boy
Joy an angel
Niambi an angel

Just look at the happy expressions on the children’s faces as they participate in the pageant:

As with many collectible series, there is a charming story for each figurine. For example, Charles a king - the kneeling figurine in the center above:
"At dress rehearsal for the Christmas play, Mrs. Sue gave Charles a small gift box he was to carry for the baby Jesus. As he opened the lid to see what treasure was enclosed his heart sank because the box was empty. He quickly ran to his classroom where he tore up small pieces of paper and wrote the same word on each piece. He filled the box with ‘LOVE.’"

See more Blue Monday posts at Smiling Sally.