Angel

01/2009

Accoding to the meaning of the Greek word angelosz, the angel is the legate of God. This legate of the Lord appeared to the sheperds and announced the birth of Jesus. At Christmas, when the Christian world celebrates the earthly birth of Christ, it is common practice to set Nativity cribs, in Hungarian betlehems in  churches and houses. Though in other languages it is named after the cradle of Christ – in Italian presepe or presepio, in German Krippe –, the Hungarian name of this multi-figural scene illustrating the biblical story refers to the place of Christ’s birth, the town of Betlehem.

It can be seen till the middle of January or till even Candlemas.

The cult of the cradle developed in  Western church only after the  7th century when the original relic was taken to Rome. Still, the custom of setting up Nativity cribs appeared in Europe only in the 13th century and it was spreaded by the monks of St Francis of Assisi. It became very popular amongst Christians by the 15th and 16th centuries. In Naples, very artistic betlehems were produced in the 17-18th centuries.

The figures were made very finely and precisely, of which the angel figure of the Hungarian National Museum is an example. Its head is from ceramics, the limbs from painted wood and the body from tow-yarn on an iron structure, so it could have been moved according to the given gestures recquired. The curly light-brown hair looks as if it was blown by the wind. The motionlessness of the figure makes perceive the sense of flying. Its look is gently serious showing its hands downwards warningly. The wings are from white-painted wood but with multi-coloured feathers on  edges. The clothes have wires round the side to make its look airy.

The figure was originally hanged up in a Nativity crib.

Restaured by Sipos Enikő