Vintage French Santon Creche doll, marked Jouglas Depose on bottom of base. Female figure in period dress. Made of terracotta, wearing hand made clothes.

Vintage condition, with overall wear, including scuffs, soiling and loss of paint.

Approximately 11 inches in height.

The 19th century Creche doll is a unique art form and rich in cultural tradition, Created in the seventh and eighteenth centuries to visualize the birth of the Christ child in a nativity scene , the Presepio was made up of true and realistic characters from every aspect of daily human life in 18th and 19th century Naples. These early Presepios included peasants, aristocratic figures, as well as disfigured ones, nobility dressed in silken finery while peasants dressed in cotton and wool. The wealthy of the era had rivalries on who could attain the largest and most extensive display. The Neapolitan Creche’ Doll figures were initially collected to display the nativity scene of the Christ child, Joseph, Mary, wise men, shepherds. After the initial display was complete, not be be outdone, additional citizens were created depicting every aspect of life of the era. A demand grew to out do each others’ display creating more and more figures for the collections.