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Each jewelry and musical jewelry box is handcrafted using pure brass and the highest quality stained glass. The classic beauty of each box is enhanced by charming prints from well-known artists. We selected these fine turn-of-the-century prints and other heartwarming illustrations to evoke the simple joys of life and the beauty of a gentler era."
The bottom of the box says, "Made in Mexico" Via Vermont is located in Vermont.
(l03.B999.53)
"April says when she first started making things in clay, she decided to make "Nativities" like those that she had seen in Brazil, Mexico and in front of the downtown Tucson courthouse as a child. This is an exact replica of her original pottery piece in terra cotta. They are made of resinous material and are unable to be distinguished from the original clay work."
(L09.B.R.08)
3
1/2" Nativity scene plate with gold trim and stand.
This
item is an original design of Elsa Biaggi of Biaggi
House of Nativities. Her work is collected worldwide.
The artist's signature design style - palm trees and thatched roofed houses (bohios) - is depicted in this plate. I always thought this was from Hawaii but found one similar, and it was from Cuba. The artist's name and the word describing the house are both Spanish, so my belief now is that it is from Cuba.
(L01.B999.R6) 
Artist Kim Anderson of England creates these darling little people that look as if they are posing for a photo. Kim's produce line is called, "Pretty as a Picture." This piece is titled, "Christmas Pageant."
This little
set includes "Mary and Joseph" boy with baby and girl with a rose.an angel and set of 3 Wisemen.
(L09.B.R07)
Madonna and child found at a thrift store in San Diego. I believe I was visiting Chantal. It is carved wood and stands about 10". (l09.B151.R03)
Artist Jim Shores, taken from his web site:
Description from their website: "Each new design begins as a drawing which is traced onto a plaster of Paris mold. This mold is then carved by hand using a stylus. Every ceramic with this particular design will be made using this mold. Each ceramic is begun by rolling out clay to a uniform thickness and applying it to the mold. We use a special clay for our artwork: a blend of clays and grog which, upon firing in a kiln, yields a natural earth tone and texture.
Next, the prepared clay is then applied to the mold. It is then most carefully separated from the mold and placed on the cutting table. Here, each piece is cut out by hand using a fine needle. The finished, cut-out pieces are called greenware. The greenware is taken to the drying room where it dries for 7-10 days. When the greenware is dry, the kiln master inspects every piece and moves the good pieces to be loaded and fired in the bisque kiln.
Once the greenware is loaded into the kiln, the temperature in the kiln is raised very slowly until, after 26 hours, it reaches a temperature of 1750 degrees Fahrenheit. This process turns the greenware into “bisqueware” that is ready to be washed and then glazed or painted.
Now the painted or glazed bisque is now ready for the final firing. The glaze kiln is loaded once again by the kiln master. The final firing lasts 11-12 hours and reaches a temperature of 2350 Degrees Fahrenheit. This gives the bisque a near-Porcelain quality. Finally, the finished product goes to the inspection room for quality-control examination."
(L09.B39.R57)
This was made by my brother-in-law, Ben Archuleta. It is glass and lead. It measures about 5 inches. (L01.B999.R02)
"In the traditional Aymara Nativity the kings take the child gifts such as potatoes, fruit, and a sheep as they are all scarce in the Andean area more than 3000 meter above the sea level. The figures in this petite nativity set are tilincho, which in the Aymara language means small. The bright colors represent the current Aymara culture. Colors may vary.
From the Aymara people, an indigenous nation in South America, this 12 piece nativity is made entirely by hand with great detail and precision. Hand crafted in Bolivia. Figures stand approx. 2.25 inches high.
Traditional red pottery inspired by the ancient Bolivian Tiwanaku culture. Each piece is made with great detail glazed or painted entirely by hand with a simple brush. Artisans: Aymara ceramic artisans in Bolivia have inherited and adapted the ancestral techniques and designs to share with the world through fair trade for a better quality of life. These artisans have a decent job that allows them to value their culture and teach it to their children. This Nativity set was acquired through a Fair Trade organization. Fair trade pays impoverished artisans a fair price for their work and puts people first, not profits.
(L01.B999.R52)
