146 - Probably made in Naples, 19th–20th century Nativity scene inside a glass bell jar approx. 40 cm high

Probably made in Naples, 19th–20th century Nativity scene inside a glass bell jar approx. 40 cm high A Nativity scene depicting the Holy Family, with the Virgin Mary seated, Saint Joseph standing, and the Infant Jesus resting on a cloth. The group is set within an evocative, naturalistic landscape composed of botanical elements—branches, trunks, and moss—and is dominated by a tree laden with pomegranates, a feature of particular symbolic and iconographic significance, traditionally associated with fertility, resurrection, and eternal life.The figures, characterized by sculptural modeling and rich polychromy, are dressed in fabric garments and possess an expressive quality typical of devotional art. The composition is enclosed within an elongated, ovoid glass bell jar, which rests upon a circular base of turned and molded wood.Provenance: Santangelo Family Collection, Naples SANTANGELO FAMILY COLLECTION