The first Santons fair was held in Marseille in 1803. It was the starting point for the "crèche" (nativity scene), a true Provençal tradition. Register for free to our newsletter to learn about our Christmas shopping specials ... c.castelain@lepinparasol.com Santons de Provence

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The Santons of Provence From the 19th century, the Santonniers of Provence (santons manufacturers) started to introduce the village people of Provence in the nativity scene: the Water Carrier, the Lavender Lady, the Shepperd, the Cheese Maker but also the Bush Ranger or the Gossiper ! All of them are now part of the traditional Provençal crèche. See below how Santons are made by the Escoffier family.   Our collection is from the award winning Escoffier workshop, 100% created and hand made in Provence.     SANTONS 9 cm / 3.5", clay   See below for more designs Femme au bouquet SANTONS 25 cm, clay and various materials, A$95 each - US$70   See below for more designs   Femme au bassinoire

SANTONS 9 cm, clay :

Beautifully hand painted in Aubagne (Provence), these clay Santons are true to the Provençal tradition of representing the adoration of Jesus by the people of many Old Time traditional trades: shepherd, water carrier, town crier, ... Start your collection and keep adding pieces to it every Christmas ...		Left picture: Joseph, Mary, Ox and Donkey Each: A$30 - US$22.20   Jesus: A$46 - A$34.04
Wise men: Green, Blue, Red - Each: A$30 - US$22.20	Sheep: Each: A$16.74 - US$12.38	Mistral Lady: A$30 - US$22.20 Mistral Man: A$46 - A$34.04
Garlic Lady - Town Crier - Each: A$30 - US$22.20	Lavender Lady - Water Carrier - Each: A$30 - US$22.20	Bartoumieu (man) - Milk Lady - Each: A$30 - US$22.20
Jug Lady - Spinning Lady - Each: A$30 - US$22.20	Kneeling Sheppherd: A$38 - US$28.12	Man with firewood - Lady with Lamb - Each: A$30 - US$22.20

SANTONS 25 cm, clay and various materials, A$95 each - US$64.60

La Laitière (left) et le vieux Berger (right)	La Dame au souflet (left) et le jeune Berger (right)
La fileuse (left)- La femme au fagot (right)	Le Faucheur (left) et la Faucheuse (right)

The Escoffier santons are well know for the outstanding quality of their design and making. Their creator won the Best Santon Craftman award. Each santon is decorated with the greatest attention to details to make these Santons look like real people. They have been in santon collections for years. Why not start yours now ?...

	CREATING A SANTON   A santon is born in the hands of a sculptor. He creates a clay model with his hands and a carving stick as only tools. The more precise the carving, the better the model. Every other stage of the making of a santon will depend on how talented the sculptor was. Note that he sometimes works on figurines that are no bigger than 2 cm !
Plaster is poured on the model.	Once dried, the plaster becomes a mould used to reproduce the model.	This is done by compressing a block of clay between the two parts of the mould.
The new santon is then delicately removed from the mould and must be left to dry for 48 hours.		Every excess clay is carefully removed from the outlines of the santon.
When dry enough, the clay santons are cooked to make them more resistant..	This is done gradually in an oven where temperature is made to rise gradually to 960 oC in 12 hours	The cooling time before the oven can be opened is equivalent to the cooking time to ensure a good strength of the santons.
	DECORATING THE SANTONS   During the last stage, as important and delicate as the preceeding ones, the santon is painted with water based or acrylic colours depending on the finished required. Precision is fundamental. The smaller the santon the more precise the painter must be. Painting is the finishing touch of a santon. Its beauty and appeal depend on the level of skills and care of the craftmen (sculptor, moulder, painter) who created it.

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Catherine Castelain - Marie Charter
c.castelain@lepinparasol.com
Date Last Modified: 2/4/07
Le Pin Parasol - PO Box 593 MOOREBANK NSW 1875 AUSTRALIA - Tel (61) 02 9602 6305