A reader asked me about this nativity we showed on our About Nativities page:



I wrote:

Here's an irony - we have a set, and there are no manufacturer's markings on it, so we don't know who made it either. A friend of mine who sells vintage Christmas decorations was recently able to track one down, though. I'm sending him your e-mail in case he can find another one.

Fred, here's another person who could use a nativity like the one you found for me. Just on the off chance you've seen one somewhere. In fact if you've seen two somewhere, I have another person who is looking for one, too.

Thanks,

Paul

My very-informed friend Fred Fox, of NoelKat, wrote:

The set is most likely early 1970s. I say this as some of the pieces I have seen still retained a made in Korea label attached to the bottom and prior to 1970, most Imported Christmas items like lights and decorations were being brought in from Japan by Importers of such merchandise like Holt Howard, Napco, Lefton and Giftcraft to name just a few. The early 1970s saw change, these previously made in Japan items were now being made in Korea. As to the Importer that brought this set to North America, I do not know. Most of the Importers I mentioned above dissapeared along with the Japanese merchandise and Importers from Korea no longer made their name stand out on the merchandise they were bringing in. I will certainly keep my eye out for pieces to the set. Fred (NoelCat i at: http://www.blujay.com/?page=profile&pro ... e=noel-kat)

As it turns out, I had a set very similar to this one (colors different but shapes were the same); it came in a Sears box, was circa 1970's, and made in Japan. Sold it on Ebay for $90 as I recall.

We've since come across a white china version of the same thing, but my guess is someone made molds from the bone china (colored) version, since the detail is less sharp.

Thrift shop, no box, so there's no provenance.

Came across this set over the weekend at a tag sale--in miserable condition--it had been left in a damp place for a while but it did have a label---this one said made in Hong Kong!

So now we have Japan, Korea and Hong Kong!

Learned this week that it is a not-so subtle copy of a "Josef" ceramic set.



The Josef set turns up on eBay from time to time, such as here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JOSEF-NATIVITY- ... 1c4b0e8987

Of course some of the details on the Josef set are not-so-subtle copies of Hummels. Note the spiky orange hair and blowing scarf of the shepherd girl.