Santons de Provence

This weekend I went to a santon market in Aubagne, in the South of France.

Santons (Provençal: "santoun," or "little saint") are small (2.5-15 cm.) hand-painted, terracotta nativity scene figurines produced in the Provence region of southeastern France. In a traditional Provençal crèche, there are 55 individual figures representing various characters from Provençal village life such as the scissors grinder, the fishwife, the blind man, and the chestnut seller.

The first santons were created by Marseillais artisan Jean-Louis Lagnel (1764-1822) during the French Revolution when churches were forcibly closed and their large nativity scenes prohibited.

Lagnel crafted small clay figurines in plaster molds and let them dry before firing them. A maker of santons is a santonnier and the creation of santons today is essentially a family craft, handed down from parents to children. Santons are fashioned in two halves, pressed together and fused.

Hats, baskets, and other accessories are applied with an adhesive. When the figure is completely dry, it is given a gelatin bath in order to harden the figure further and to provide a surface for the application of pigments.

Faces are painted first, then hair, clothing and accessories. There are two types of santons: santons d'argile (clay figures) and doll-like santons habillé (clothed figures).

Since 1803, santonniers have gathered in Marseille each December to display and sell their wares at the Foire des Santonniers.

Aubagne holds a two-day fair, Biennale de l'Art Santonnier, and the Musée du Santon in Marseille exhibits a private collection of 18th and 19th century santons.