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Saturday, December 16, 2017

P is for Provencal Peasants and Performing Provincials

I had to read-up on Santon's for the pesky Composition Page which seems fated to never happen, or destined to become a book! Primarily, this was because there was confusion in my simple-mind between 'Santons' and 'Senton', who we'd already seen here on the blog. Turns out Senton make Santons and Santons are the French take on Italian Presepi, except they (the French) apparently got the idea from the Spanish Belenes!

Typicall though, while most Santons, including those from Senton are painted and between 50 and 80mm, these are 120-odd and undecorated! However I'm sure enough they are Santons as the French changed the rules on who could attend the Nativity and decided that occasional guests could include celebrities and presidents - past and present - while one of the 50 regular guests is the hunter, complete with anachronistic firearm!

These are fired terracotta with a couple of chips on the hat brims, revealing that they were finished with a dark varnish wash or dip.

These aren't Santons, being more decorative or ornamental but of the same sort of subject; country bumpkins, so they can go here. They were photographed on Adrian's stall back in the summer, and seem to be blow-moulded polystyrene, done in the style of the Casein figures that turn-up occasionally and/or Japanese celluloid blow-moulds.

However they actually have what appears to be a British 'Registered Patent' application number round the base; hers not clear, his quite readable; R.P. No. 8863-something obscured by what looks like an Araldite repair. They have wooden bases to match the similar casein models.

Yet I wonder if the RP could be Republique Provence? They remain a mystery - unless you know better (?) - are figural and are interesting . . . and; to be honest - look more Spanish or Portuguese than anything!

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