Fontanini

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A Fontanini nativity scene.
A Fontanini nativity scene.

Fontanini is a famous brand of nativity scenes for collectors. The House of Fontanini was founded in 1908 by Emanuele Fontanini in Bagni di Lucca in Tuscany. The company today is run by his great-grandson, Emanuele Fontanini, with other members of the family, Stefano, Marco, Luca, and Alessandro.

Fontanini is famous mostly for its nativity scenes, consisting of stables and figurines - the Holy Family, the shepherds, the wise men, and various animals. Fontanini does, however, produce figurines for other New Testament scenes, such as the Wedding Feast at Cana, the Last Supper, and the Resurrection. The basic nativity sets can be expanded to include many figurines which are not generally available in standard cribs, such as villagers, musicians, and the innkeeper's wife; it is also possible to purchase additional buildings, such as the synagogue and the carpenter's shop. Many of the additional figurines are only available for a certain time.

Fontanini has also produced many non-nativity items including figurines of angels, children, clowns, etc. You might also find old chess sets, toy soldiers and cake top decorations. However, most of these non-nativity pieces haven't been imported to the USA for several years.

Fontanini figurines come in various sizes, from 5 inches, suitable for a home crib, to the Masterpiece 70 inches[1], suitable for cribs in churches. Most Catholic churches display cribs from the beginning of Advent to the Feast of the Epiphany (6 January), or of the Presentation (2 February), and use figurines that are close to life size. <<Correction here: Each parish procures its own Nativity figures. Life size figures are expensive and rarely used from my observation. Outdoor sets are used and use larger figures but usually each parish has a Nativity display in the front of the church, often where a side altar is. Those pieces are smaller. >>> Each fifty-inch Fontanini piece can cost thousands of dollars.

Fontanini nativity figurines.
Fontanini nativity figurines.

Each Fontanini figurine begins as a clay prototype, fashioned by the sculptor Eli Simonetti. The figurines from the smaller series are then reproduced in a specially-formulated polymer; those from the larger sets are made from a marble-based resin. Each figure is then hand painted. Fontanini guarantee that the polymer pieces will never chip or break.

Genuine Fontanini pieces are marked with a fountain symbol on the base: the name Fontanini means "little fountains". Pieces made before the 1960s were marked with an image of a spider, as the elder Emanuele Fontanini's early work had included the production of soft toy spiders with swinging legs.

Each piece comes with a collector's card, providing extra, often legendary, details of the particular character. For example, the card for Gaspar (also known as Caspar) states that he was the youngest of the three kings, but was about 109 when he set out with his companions to find the Christ Child, and that in deference to the oldest king, Melchior, Gaspar stood aside to allow him to enter the stable first.

Fontanini Heirloom Nativity sets have been distributed by Roman, Inc. since 1973. Roman, Inc. started the Fontanini Collectors' Club, which issued a quarterly newsletter, gave members an annual gift, and allowed them to order specially-produced figurines not available to the general public. However Roman, Inc. ceased their Collectors' Club after 2004.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Fontanini Sizes