Description
This LEPI page is an accompaniment to king Balthasar. He rests comfortably atop a seated camel as he plays a peaceful song on the lute. Each piece of this exquisite Christmas Nativity has been hand-carved and hand-painted in the Lepi workshops in Italy.
The life and naturalness of each individual piece is portrayed, their identities evident in the small details of their faces and positions. The adult figures stand 16 cm (6.3 inches) in this creche set. It is hand-carved from Alpine Maple, which is indigenous to the Groden Valley and is used for all Lepi woodcarvings. The wood is dried naturally for two years, then kiln dried for two weeks, reducing the wood to a moisture content of 8-12%. This enables the carvings to be in families for generations without any cracking or damage to the wood.
Purchases of any Lepi woodcarvings are viewed as family heirlooms and are passed from generation to generation.
