Customer Reviews

Art of the Creche: Nativities from Around the World

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From Govan's work in international aid and development, he saw creches in all parts of the world. Their styles ranged from folk art, artistic works, a few simple figures, elaborate scenes, colorless pieces of carved wood, multicolored panoramas, to realistic to modernistic. He became interested enough in creches to start a Friends of the Creche Society; and to collect creches for his own enjoyment and for exhibition and media spots.

One hundred and fifty of the varied nativity scenes are pictured in color related to the country they came from with the individuals who made them identified when known. Close-ups of features of many for appreciation of details bring the total number of photographs to more than 200. Pictured against only the white of the pages, the creches with their varied figures in their intended arrangement stand out. Especially, with no background or context, their variety and the uniqueness of each are highlighted.

Govan's short comments for each creche concentrate on how he came to acquire it, the artistic goal of its creator, the figures seen in it (e. g., an African Yao tribal king, a Navajo Indian), and its materials. Some creches Govan commissioned; some were made by artists or art groups; and some were given to him for his collection to represent a particular country or ethnic group.

This large-size, coffee-table art book makes an ideal gift for the holiday season, one which will offer recurring enjoyment.

James Govan and his wife Emilia were thoughtful collectors of the art of the Christian nativity scene. This beautiful volume, dedicated to Jim's late wife, is an exquisite presentation that shares both their joy and knowledge of this very special art form. Photographs and narration combine to give the reader information about the individual sets, their creators, the background of the artisans and the countries they work in, and the art of the nativity generally. Aficionados and casual observers alike will find this book well-done and illuminating.
And it would make a lovely Christmas gift!

This is a beautiful book full of wonderful creches, but if I had noticed how much smaller the paperback edition is, I would have ordered the hardcover. Bigger photos would be better.

One of the finest Christmas customs is the presentation of the story of Christ's birth in a creche, or nativity scene - and ART OF THE CRECHE celebrates this art, surveying over a hundred nativities from around the world and the craft involved in their production. The author is a top collector of creches and a former international aid worker: he and his late wife thus traveled the world in search of these unique nativities. With its color photos, international focus and spiritual insights, ART OF THE CRECHE is a top pick for all kinds of collections, from spiritual holdings to general-interest public libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book was purchased as a gift for a friend who collects creches from around the world. She was delighted and found many new things that she now will look for in her travels. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves seeing how the nativity has been depicted in many different cultures. It is almost as good as a world tour.

I bought this book for my mother who collects nativity scenes from around the world. The pictures are beautiful, and we found all the insights and descriptions very interesting. This makes a wonderful gift.

Got the hard back for my preacher and his wife for Christmas (they collect nativities). When it arrived, I just "had" to break the wrapping and take a look. Well worth the money. The photos are color and very big. Some close ups of details. Totally happy with this purchase.

the volume shows beautiful full color illustrations of a private collection of nativities.. all the creches are by artists. As in any collection,the collection is limited to the tastes of the collector.

This is a beautiful little book with all full-color photos of creches from around the world. The creches reside in the collection of James and Emilia Govan and the book itself is written by James Govan.

The nativity scenes featured are not of the traditional, Italian-made variety that we are used to seeing here in the U.S. although there are a couple of stunning examples of Italian nativities depicted. Almost all of them are created using materials, workmanship, costumes, etc. reflective of the cultures of their creators. And they are absolutely fascinating.

There is text by James Govan to go along with each creche pictured, including the country of origin and name of the artist (when known) as well as brief notes on how it was created and other interesting details.

The photographs are great but I did find myself wishing that some of them could have been larger, to show some of the beautiful and intricate details of these works of art. That is not to say that the pictures are miniscule by any means, but some of the photos just cannot do justice to the true beauty of the scenes. Do not let that deter you from buying this book though! The photographs are definitely large enough to allow the reader/viewer to appreciate the workmanship that went into the making of each one.

If you are a lover of religious art, nativity scenes, or gorgeous art in general, you will not be disappointed with this little treasure.

This book is a written, beautifully illustrated overview of many lovely nativities from all around the world. As a collector of nativities, I enjoyed perusing its contents immensely. I would recommend this book for anything who loves the real meaning of Christmas!