ONLINE EXHIBITION | WORLD NATIVITIES 2020
To view a zoomable version of this Nativity on Google Arts & Culture, click on the image. To explore Glencairn’s World Nativities exhibition Advent Calendar, click here.
19. Nativity from Madagascar
Antananarivo, Republic of Madagascar
Fanazava wood
2014
Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world, is a nation off the southeastern coast of Africa. Formerly a French colony, the island gained independence in 1960. Approximately half of the Malagasy population practices indigenous beliefs, while most of the remaining population are Christian and Muslim. Christian beliefs are often integrated with elements of traditional beliefs.
This Nativity has been carved from fanazava wood, a wood with a light cream color. It was purchased from a carver in an open-air market in the capital city, Antananarivo, which is famous for its many woodcarving workshops. Madagascar has a highly developed carving tradition with regional variations within the island. Especially notable are the carvings of the Zafimaniry people; in 2008 UNESCO included their “woodcrafting knowledge” on a list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity sites around the world.
To view a zoomable version of this Nativity on Google Arts & Culture, click here. To explore Glencairn’s World Nativities exhibition Advent Calendar, click here.