Race against time to complete pasturi for Gozo crib

A set of highly detailed and expressive crib figures are ready to leave the house they were created and made in, in St Ursula Street, Valletta to go to the Gozitan capital where they will form part of a Neapolitan crib.

The pasturi were made by Fr Charles Vella, a Gozitan who lives in Malta.

The crib exhibition opens tomorrow at the Banca Giuratale and remains open until January 6.

Although the opening is just a day away, Fr Vella was still working on parts of the crib yesterday.

The figures are made of clay, which is left to dry, baked and then intricately painted with several washes to build up the required hues. The figures are then clothed, except the putti, or angels, which are naked. According to tradition, angels were all boys and can be easily seen to be so. But Fr Vella breaks from the norm and decided to make some of the angles girls! "The seraphs were traditionally girls," he explained.

The crib shall have 21 large figures, including seven seraphs and a band of some 20 angels.

"Next year I plan to develop more other aspects of the crib," Fr Vella says, explaining that the Neapolitan crib has three scenes: the "mystery" symbolising the birth of Christ, where Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the three kings are found; the annunciation, where angels spread the news to shepherds and the tavern atmosphere, where all the other mundane figures are situated.

Neapolitan cribs are built vertically rather than spread out horizontally and are rather crowded, with figures practically touching each other. "It represents the victory of Christianity over paganism, hence you find Roman ruins, symbolising the fall of paganism. And the crib is set in daylight, symbolising the birth of Christ as bringing light."

Fr Vella speaks as he applies glue with strokes of a paintbrush to one of the columns, also made of clay. "These cannot be baked as the base is made of wood, so the glue has to keep the clay firm and in place," he explains.

Dried moss, imported from Italy, is used to adorn the crib, making the rocks seem more life-like. "Everyone uses imported moss. It is not that expensive and the effect it gives is outstanding," he said.

There still seemed to be a lot of work to be done with so few days to go before the exhibition opens. "I am waiting for some sets of glass eyes from the UK and I still have some figures to paint," he says, eyes glued to the panel he is painting. "But that does not worry me. Working under pressure produces better results," he said.

In addition to the crib, Fr Vella is also working on almost life size images of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, one for a French collector and the other for a Maltese person. "I am still waiting for the glass eyes from the UK for these. But I am sure they will be completed in time," he said.