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  • Swiss National Holiday 01.08.2025 10:00 - 17:00

  • Long Night of the Museums 06.09.2025 10:00 - 17:00
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Nativity scenes crafted by women

National Museum Zurich | 18.11.2022 - 8.1.2023
published on 15.11.2022

Advent is a special time of year. This year, the exhibition of traditional nativity scenes at the National Museum Zurich will be focusing on cribs created by female crafters. The figures are complemented by a display of historical advent calendars and an extensive accompanying programme of events and activities.

This year, the traditional Christmas exhibition at the National Museum in Zurich will be showcasing manger scenes crafted by women. Women play an important role as designers, bringing their own special flavour to the diverse range of cribs. They use a wide variety of materials and techniques to breathe life into their figures and landscapes. Wood sculptors Camilla Braunger and Márcia Bieri, who have dedicated themselves to the traditional art of Brienz wood carving, have created two exhibits especially for the exhibition. Hanny Roduner’s charming fabric figures delight viewers with their lovingly crafted details. And the landscapes created by Lucette Pauchard-Remy feature a mix of Advent and folk customs. A porcelain artist from Bulle, Lucette Pauchard-Remy, skilfully blends elements of traditional Gruyère painting (Sennentumsmalerei) with the story of Jesus’ birth, creating a very distinctive world in her enchanting works.

To go with the exhibition of approximately 20 cribs, a large collection of historical advent calendars is also on display. For more than 100 years, various forms of calendars have made the long countdown to Christmas more bearable. A special focus is on calendars with St Nicholas subjects. The exhibition is accompanied by a diverse supporting program and offers entertainment for the whole family.

Documents

Images

Nativity scene with santons de Provence | © Swiss National Museum
Nativity scene with santons de Provence

Lise Berger, Roquevaire (FR), 1990-2021, painted clay, various fabrics, KrippenWelt, Stein am Rhein

Swiss National Museum

Nativity scene with santons de Provence | © Swiss National Museum
Nativity scene with santons de Provence

Lise Berger, Roquevaire (FR), 1990-2021, painted clay, various fabrics, KrippenWelt, Stein am Rhein

Swiss National Museum

Nativity scene with santons de Provence | © Swiss National Museum
Nativity scene with santons de Provence

Lise Berger, Roquevaire (FR), 1990-2021, painted clay, various fabrics, KrippenWelt, Stein am Rhein

Swiss National Museum

The scribes of Herod – the angel appears – the birth of Jesus | © Swiss National Museum
The scribes of Herod – the angel appears – the birth of Jesus

Hanny Roduner, Zurich ZH, around 1999, wire, polystyrene, fabrics (selection from the life’s work of H.R.), private collection

Swiss National Museum

The scribes of Herod – the angel appears – the birth of Jesus | © Swiss National Museum
The scribes of Herod – the angel appears – the birth of Jesus

Hanny Roduner, Zurich ZH, around 1999, wire, polystyrene, fabrics (selection from the life’s work of H.R.), private collection

Swiss National Museum

The scribes of Herod – the angel appears – the birth of Jesus | © Swiss National Museum
The scribes of Herod – the angel appears – the birth of Jesus

Hanny Roduner, Zurich ZH, around 1999, wire, polystyrene, fabrics (selection from the life’s work of H.R.), private collection

Swiss National Museum

Gifts of the Magi | © Swiss National Museum
Gifts of the Magi

Sculptural group, Mercy, Márcia Bieri, Landquart GR, 2022, Carved walnut, private collection

Swiss National Museum

Church figures with precious garments | © Swiss National Museum
Church figures with precious garments

From the monastery of St. Anna LU, late 17th–19th c., various materials

Swiss National Museum

Woodland Christmas, 1936 | © Evelyne Gasser, Lenzburg
Woodland Christmas, 1936

Marianne Schneegans, Rudolf Schneider Verlag, Reichenau

Evelyne Gasser, Lenzburg

A view of the exhibition. | © © Swiss National Museum
A view of the exhibition.

© Swiss National Museum

A view of the exhibition. | © © Swiss National Museum
A view of the exhibition.

© Swiss National Museum

View into the Advent studio. | © © Swiss National Museum
View into the Advent studio.

© Swiss National Museum

Key visual of the exhibition Christmas & Cribs | © Swiss National Museum
Christmas & Cribs

Key visual of the exhibition

Swiss National Museum

Please note that the downloading and use of images is reserved exclusively for journalists, teachers and other authorised parties. Images are only permitted to be used for the purposes of reporting on exhibitions, provided the captions and reference to copyright are included, or for teaching purposes. Many thanks!

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