Nativity Christmas Decoration

This nativity Christmas decoration is a tiny scene in hand-painted ceramic, made in Peru, with Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus in the manger and two sheep beside them, all set within a simple triangular stable that hangs from a cord. It is small enough for the tree, and just as fitting propped on a windowsill or tied to a wreath.

Peru has a long tradition of hand-painted Christmas ceramics, and the nativity scene, known there as the nacimiento, is at the heart of it. Each figure in this one is shaped in clay, fired and then painted individually by hand, so the colours of the robes and the faces of the figures differ slightly from one decoration to the next.

We buy these from a fair trade importer that holds Guaranteed membership of the World Fair Trade Organization, and which describes the work behind them as fairly paid and supporting the families of the potters who make them.

How to Look After Your Ceramic Nativity

Hang it where it won't swing against anything hard, since ceramic chips where metal or felt would only bend. A dry, soft cloth is all the painted surface needs, and wrapping it in tissue before it goes away for the year will protect the small figures from knocks in the box.

• Material: hand-painted ceramic
• Size: approx. 5.3 x 1.8 x 6.7cm
• Hanging: cord
• Made in: Peru