Santons

Santons de Provence

“Little Saints of Provence”

by Claude Carbonel

26 cm/10.25 in $90.00 each

made in France

Man with Lavender

26 cm $90

Woman with Lavender

26 cm $90

Woman with Grains

26 cm $90

Baker

26 cm $90

Woman with Fish

26 cm $90

Fisherman in Yellow

26 cm $90

Fisherman in Blue

26 cm $90

Woman Baker

26 cm $90

Young Shepherd

26 cm $90

Carpenter

26 cm $90

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: re-sculpting parts, hand-painting, and dressing them in traditional Provencal clothing.

Creche Nativity 26 cm (limited sets available)

Joseph, Mary &

Baby Jesus

$280