N is probably Not for Nardi

I bought these off a well known dealer, who said he'd been told they were Nardi, but with a face and a tone of voice which said "If you want to believe it too?", and it has to be said there is nothing in the Nardi oeuvre that matches it. It doesn't match the plug-together figures, nor the earlier composition

Therefore - and pending any hysterical updates from TJF or his PSTSM mates - this is an unknown, Italian nativity or 'Precepe' set.

It's beautifully made, and if I had to pin it on anyone I'd choose the Esci/Italiari/Ital-Hobby/Polistil/Supermodel group or chain, as the colours of the plastic have something in common with some of their kits, as has the material - polystyrene - and the kit-like construction, although that construction has, for the most part, been done at source.

The camera's flashes (and the age of the set) have rather led to some unrealistic colour-reproduction, but the components come in a light- and mid-tan and a chocolate-brown, along with some marbling on a few of the animals.

In the shot above we have three wise men, while the below image shows the family doing their 'thang'!

The shepherds in this set have come mob-handed with no less than four individuals, although you could employ three of them as camel-herds, but you'd need to source the camels from elsewhere first!

The upper image is my mock up of a smaller vignette I've seen, made of these, on t'Internet. In the case of that 'budget purchase' (?), the sheep has no base and all four elements are glued to a large'ish steep-sided base moulding in the same dark-brown found in this set and probably from the same tool as the other brown components.

The vignette on the left here, gives some idea of the one I was describing above, although the sides of this one are geometric and much taller. Marked ® and Made In Italy these are the only real clues, there is nothing on the box; probably reflecting an international issue/release; I've seen them on evilBay often-enough, before now.

The angel is made to be attached to something . . .

. . . with two long, locating studs as can be seen here (bottom left). I suspect it's the stable building seen on the box, which presumably was available in the same sales-displays, or perhaps packed together with this set in a larger liner?

The animals have been marbled from the two tan-plastics (sheep) or all three colours (the donkey and cow), both the latter also having a slot-in ear/horn section; which is missing on my donkey.

Whether there are two sculpts/cavities of/for the walking sheep, or if its base was cut off for use with the other vignette - I can't say.

A really nice set; does anyone know anything else about it or who made it?