F: The Baby Jesus, from within the protection of a glass case, blesses all who enter and leave our museum.
M: The Lord bless you.
Let him imbue your feet with dance
And your arms with strength.
Let him imbue your heart with tenderness
And your eyes with laughter.
Let him fill your ears with music
And your nose with sweet perfumes.
Let him fill your mouth with exultation
And your heart with joy.
F: A blessing first proclaimed in Ancient Egypt.
M: The Christ Child Giving a Blessing is a hand-carved 18th century wooden figurine. The eyes are made of glass, the halo of pure silver. The clothes are the originals. In his left hand, the child holds the orb, while his right hand is raised in blessing. The figure is the work of an unknown Italian artist and possesses great spiritual virtue.
F: As well as significant material value – thought to be roughly 8,000 euros.
M: Originally, the Jesus figure was on loan from the Bambini Museum "Il Divino Infante" on Lake Garda, which houses some 200 figures of Christ. But we have since managed to acquire it from the collector Hiky Mayr, the owner of the exhibition space.
F: Your tour continues on the first floor - the second floor for our US visitors. Up there, you’ll discover historical cribs that are between 70 and 200 years old, but also contemporary examples and cribs from all over the world. If you look to your right as you walk up the stairs, you’ll notice a tiny nativity scene that employs one-point perspective.
M: Incidentally, our museum is fully accessible. If you prefer, you’re welcome to take the elevator – it’s to the left of the entrance.
Fotos: © Crib Museum and © Trüpschuch
