French school. Nancy. 18th century. Attributed to the Guillot Brothers' workshop... Nativity scene with dressed wax figures. Crèche en Cire Habillée', Diorama measurements: 57 x 70 x 41 cm. Showcase dimensions: 67 x 75 x 53 cm. Diorama, and small showcase. Framed with a golden frame, the showcase contains a religious scene with figures made of wax, paper, cloth, mirror, moss and remains of shells representing a Nativity scene comprising the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and the Child and around them the Three Wise Men, shepherds, washerwomen, angels holding palm leaves and cherubs' heads between mountains decorated with paper flowers, animals and bushes in the background. The delicately painted figures wear clothes in the style of the court of Louis XVI, delicately embroidered with brocade, silk and muslin fabrics. The figures in the diorama are of different sizes, which, when placed on different planes, creates perspective. This remarkable work of exquisite detail is typical of those made in the 18th-century city of Nancy, famous for 'Cires habillées' or 'dressed wax figures'. These wax figure scenes from Nancy are presented in lined cardboard boxes or wooden cases decorated with shells, beads, crystals, mirrors and other materials such as moss, wood or straw, etc. Mostly religious figures were made, but also secular ones, both in relief and in the round figures. According to specialists in this type of object, Nancy's wax figures were small dolls with heads, arms and limbs made of hard wax and a padded body, the eyes were made of glass and were completed with natural hair and eyelashes. As for the other components of this type of work from Nancy, including this example, the background and decoration were created with coloured paper, ribbons, sparkles, pieces of fabric, braids and lace and some natural materials such as wood or shells. To fix all the elements in the correct place, the characters and clothes were sewn onto the bottom of the box. The workshop of the Guillot Brothers (Nicolas and François) was the best known of Nancy's wax artists. Their workshop produced creations that were highly prized by the French elite of the 18th century. This example is closely related to some of the creations by Guillot Brothers' workshop, exquisite pieces that are kept in several European museums. Reference bibliography: -Aptel, Claire; Hochart, Brigitte et Choux, Jaques. Les cires habillées nancéiennes : tableaux de cire et d'étoffes, Nancy : Éditions du Musée Lorrain, 1989, 72 pages. -Cugy, Pascale; Letourmy-Bordier, Georgina and Selbach, Vanessa. " Les 'estampes habillées' : acteurs, pratiques et publics en France aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles ", Perspective 1, 2016, p. 163-170. -Letourmy Georgina and De Los Llanos, José. Le siècle d'or de l'éventail : du Roi-Soleil à Marie-Antoinette, Dijon : Éditions Faton, 2013. -Malherbe Anne, "La Vierge au voile", Labyrinthe 4, 1999, p. 59-72. -Chaidron Meggy, "Honore l'Éternel avec tes biens" : Les cires habillées, œuvres de dévotion privée. Catalogue de Expositions temporaires, Les objets insolites no. 4. Erasmus House Museum, Brussels, 2024. Catalogue of the exhibition Cires de Nancy, paradis de cires et d'étoffes