ADVENT CALENDAR 2022

Carved in wood, Joseph stands and holds an oil lamp aloft in his right hand. Carved out of a single piece of wood, Mary kneels next to Baby Jesus in a manger. — Holy family carved in wood by Sepp Kals, Kirchberg in Tirol, Austria, 1953. Glencairn Museum collection, Bryn Athyn, PA. To view a zoomable version of this Nativity on Google Arts & Culture, **click on the image**.

2. WOODCARVED NATIVITY FROM AUSTRIA

Joseph is shown holding an oil lamp. According to the well-known mystical vision of St. Bridget of Sweden (1303–1373), when the Christ Child was born, the cave where the birth took place was filled with an ineffable divine light—a light that completely outshone the earthly light of Joseph’s candle. Beginning in the 15th century, paintings sometimes showed Joseph holding a candle, but in later centuries artists replaced his candle with a lamp or lantern.

This Holy Family was carved in wood by Sepp Kals, an academically trained sculptor from Kirchberg in Tirol, Austria. Kals also designed and carved sculptures for several church altars.

Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2022 Advent Calendar.