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ANY INFO ON 20 PIECE 12 INCH HI NATIVITY ~ FONTANINI ~PAPER MACHE, CLAY , COMPOSITION

 HI  I  ACQUIRED THIS  20 PIECE   SET  TODAY....FIGURES  12 INCHES  HI...SEEM TO~ BE  CLAY~ PAPER MACHE ~  COMPOSITION....LOVELY  COLORS..DETAILED HAND PAINTED....

WOULD  LIKE TO  KNOW  APPROX  WHEN   MADE...  CIECA?  STAMPED  ITALY  ON PAPER COVERED    BOTTOMS

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ANY INFO ON 20 PIECE 12 INCH HI NATIVITY ~ FONTANINI ~PAPER MACHE, CLAY , COMPOSITION

I have one with some of the same figures of the same height and same exact mold as these that was sold through Sears in the late 60's. I know because I was there when mom bought it.

 

My same Wise Man even has his nose chipped. Something about the shape of that one must have made the nose prone to damage.

 

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ANY INFO ON 20 PIECE 12 INCH HI NATIVITY ~ FONTANINI ~PAPER MACHE, CLAY , COMPOSITION

THANKS.. do you  feel  your  set  and  mne  are   fontanini...italy..i think  so  but  someone  at  the  fantanini  store said..no...they are  not..i  think  she is  unaware   of the  early  paper  mache  sets...i see alot of  ' ours"   definately listed   as fontanini...i see mine  as  1940's  and  50's...

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ANY INFO ON 20 PIECE 12 INCH HI NATIVITY ~ FONTANINI ~PAPER MACHE, CLAY , COMPOSITION

Are your pieces marked Fontanini? Did you see my reply to your other post of a picture with a Fontanini set like yours? I believe mine is a Japan copy actually. I had to think about that a while. They are an obvious copy of your set though. Japan was notorious for that. I collect Hagen Renaker horses and the Japan copies of those horses from the same era command premium prices because they are so similar to their pricey counterparts.

 

If I have time later I will get my set out and take a picture. I will put a link at the end of this that will show a set very similar as mine that came from Sears. The figures are so close that I think it is safe to assume mine was being sold at the some time or shortly after yours. As a very young child I thought it was a good idea one year to stick my finger through the delicate paper covering on the bottom of each of my figures but I am sure they said Japan before I did that.

 

I haven't had my set out for a few years and now I want to know how close they were copied so I will try to get pictures this afternoon. I do know that in the month or so before Christmas many nativities are offered on Ebay and it might be a good place to look for a match to yours and possibly get some date info if it is being sold by a family member like me who remembers when it was purchased.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=vintage+sears+nativity&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbmaTvwe...:

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ANY INFO ON 20 PIECE 12 INCH HI NATIVITY ~ FONTANINI ~PAPER MACHE, CLAY , COMPOSITION

thank you  angel~~ you  have been very helpful..several folk on the  fontanini  site  on  fb  said my set is  NOT fontanini....cuz no signatures .....wondering if  they  are as  valuable  as  fontanini...?  i think  they are  gorgeous..look to be  from 40's  or  50's..say italy on  bottom  and  are  paper mache...wonder if there   is  any way to identify the maker....going to  look at  your link now..thanks  again for all your  help....if you  find out anything  more i'd  be most  interested....and let  me be the  first to say  " MERRY  CHRISTMAS !  !

sheila in  delaware usa

i placed them on  a 6 foot  sled...they  take it  all up..plus  more..!  if i  keep  these  i  woulnt  know  where to display..maybe  across my   fireplace mantle..?we'll see...maybe they  will sell   during the holidays..i  placed them on  ebay !

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