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INSIGHTS.

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APPRECIATE IT.

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>> THANK YOU.

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>> FOR SIX WEEKS A DRAMATIC WORK

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OF RELIGIOUS ART IS UNVEILED IN

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CHICAGO.

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THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS THE ONLY

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TIME TO SEE A RARE NATIVITY

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SCENE THAT BLENDS SPIRITUAL AND

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EARTHLY PURSUITS.

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"CHICAGO TONIGHT" VISITED LAST

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YEAR AND FOUND A PIECE OF ART

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SEEN IN CHURCHES IN THE 18TH

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CENTURY NAPLES.

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HERE IS ANOTHER LOOK.

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[♪♪♪]

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>> IT'S CALLED A CRECHE.

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IT IS A TRADITIONAL NATIVITY

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SCENE WITH THE INFANT JESUS, THE

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HOLY FAMILY AND THE THREE WISE

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MEN.

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BUT THIS ONE HAS A CAST OF

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HUNDREDS.

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>> A CRECHE IS A SCENE THAT AT

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THE VERY CORE SHOWS THE SCENE OF

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THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

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BUT THEN IN THE NEOPOLITAN

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TRADITION THAT WE ARE SHOWING

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YOU WILL SEE THAT THAT EXPANDS

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TO A CAST OF CHARACTERS.

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SO IT INCLUDES THE ARRIVAL OF

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THE THREE KINGS, AND IT INCLUDES

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THE ANNOUNCATION OF CHRIST'S

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BIRTH TO THE SHEPHERDS AND A

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TAVERN SCENE WHICH BRINGS THE

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STREET LIFE OR CHARACTERS FROM

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DAILY LIFE IN NAPLES IN THE 18TH

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AND 19TH CENTURY.

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>> YES, THE SURROUNDING SETTING

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IS NAPLES NOT BETHLEHEM.

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COSTUMES REFLECT THE NEOPOLITAN

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FASHIONS OF THE LATE 18TH

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CENTURY.

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IT IS A MIX OF THE CONTEMPORARY

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FOR THE ERA WITH THE ORIGIN

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STORY OF CHRIST.

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THIS CRECHE WAS MADE IN NAPLES

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BEGINNING IN THE MID-1700'S BY

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ARTIST AND CRAFTSMEN

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COMMISSIONED BY THE CATHOLIC

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CHURCH.

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THEY WENT FOR BAROQUE.

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>> THE MAKING OF THE CRECHE

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BECAME PARTICULAR.

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IT BECAME AN ASSEMBLY LINE

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PROCESS WHERE ONE ART TIFT WOULD

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SPECIAL LIGHT IN MAKING THE

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HEADS OF THE FIGURES AND

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PAINTING THEM AND ANOTHER ARTIST

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WOULD MAKE THE WIRE ARMATURE OF

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THE BODY THAT CAN BE MOLDED.

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AN ARTIST WOULD MAKE THE

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COSTUME.

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ARTIST WOULD MAKE THE ANIMALS

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THAT POPULATE THE SCENE AND ALSO

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THE SMALL STILL LIFE OBJECTS SO

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THE SILVER TABLE SETTINGS WERE

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MADE BY A SILVER SMITH AND THE

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INSTRUMENTS BY LOOP MAKERS.

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[♪♪♪]

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>> INSTALLED IN A 14 BY 15 FOOT

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CABINET THE CRECHE IS A SCENE

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FILLED TO THE CORNERS WITH

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CRAFTED FIGURESSISM THE FIGURES

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ARE MADE FROM A MIX OF MATERIALS

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AND WE HAVE ON VIEW IN THE

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GALLERY AN EXAMPLE HOW THE

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FIGURES ARE PUT TOGETHER.

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THE BODY OF THE FIGURE IS A WIRE

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ARMATURE THAT IS COVERED IN A

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HEMP LIKE, STRAW LIKE MATERIAL

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TO THE ARMS AND LEGS CAN BE BENT

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TO HELP THE AASSEMBLY OF THE

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SCENE AND IT HAS A TERRACOTTA

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HEAD THAT IS PAINTED AND THE

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HANDS AND THE FEET ARE MADE OF

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WOOD ORATOR RA COT TA AS WELL

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AND A REAL SILK COSTUME IS PUT

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ON TOP.

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>> THE COSTUMES ARE THE REASON

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THE CRECHE MUST REMAIN IN THE

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DARK FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR.

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>> WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO EXHIBIT

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THE CRECHE FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS A

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YEAR AND THAT IS BECAUSE THE

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STERILES ARE FRAGILE --

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MATERIALS ARE FRAGILE AND THE

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SILK COSTUMES ARE LIKELY TO FADE

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SO IT HAS TO REST IN THE

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DARKNESS FOR A MAJORITY OF THE

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YEAR WHICH IS A GREAT EXCUSE FOR

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US TO CELEBRATE IT AT

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CHRISTMASTIME.

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>> THERE ARE BELIEVED TO BE A

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DOZEN CRECHES IN THE WORLD OF

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THIS QUALITY AND SCALE.

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THE ART INSTITUTE ACQUIRED

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THEIRS FROM AN ITALIAN COLLECTOR

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IN 2013.

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IT WAS ASSEMBLED AND COMES FROM

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DIFFERENT SOURCES.

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THOUGH IT'S ONLY ON VIEW 40 DAYS

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A YEAR, THE CRECHE IS TOO BIG TO

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MOVE.

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>> WHEN WE CLOSE ON THIS

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EXHIBITION WE INSTALL A WALL IN

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FRONT OF IT IN THE GALLERY AND

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KEEP IT IN THE DARK FOR THE

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MAJORITY OF THE YEAR.

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WHEN YOU COME AND VISIT THE

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MUSEUM YOU WOULD NOT KNOW IT'S

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HIDING BEHIND THE WALL.

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>> BY THE WAY, THE WORD CRECHE

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COMES FROM THE FRENCH FOR CRIB.

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THE ART INSTITUTE'S CRECHE IS ON