Santons de Provence
“Little Saints of Provence”
by Claude Carbonel
26 cm $85.00 each / 18 cm $65.00 each
Man with Lavender 26 cm
Woman with Lavender 26 cm
These beautiful, hand-made, red clay figures are collectibles very close to the hearts of the people of France who believe they bring cheerfulness and happiness to their homes.
Santon comes for the Provencal “santorion”, or little saints. Deeply rooted in the Provencal culture, they depict the colorful people, traditional trades, activities and costumes of Provence. Santons have come to typify the people of Provence, their work and their trade, and they are generally depicted in 19th Century dress.
Because religious hierarchy is closely linked to the monarchy, the French Revolution banned all religious figures presentation. Provencal people, too attached to their creche, decided to replace the nativity figures with people of their own villages: the Baker, Shepherd, Fisherman, etc. They became the “Little Saints” or “Santons”, first created in the village of Aubagne near Marseille.
As each Santon is individually hand-crafted, each one is unique in itself. After crafting each santon with local clay the santon is slowly baked for up to 20 hours! The artist then adds finishing touches: resculpting parts, hand-painting, and dressing them in traditional Provencal clothing.
Woman Baker 26 cm
Woman with Garlic 26 cm
Baker 26 cm
Shepherdess 26 cm
Woman with Wheat 26 cm
Fisherman in Blue 26 cm
La Provence 4 Main Street Rockport, MA 01966 Tel: (978) 546-5868
Chef 26 cm