Lotte Sievers-Hahn Nativity Figures
Lotte Sievers-Hahn grew up in the state of Lower Saxonia in Northern Germany. She was trained traditionally as a toy maker in Erzgebirge, a region with idyllic landscapes, charming villages and a legacy of artisanship. The School of Gruenhainichen, in Erzgebirge, was famous for its carving style which set its figures apart from the roundness of more typical lathe-turned figures. It was there that Lotte Sievers-Hahn developed her characteristic carving style and chose to make the nativity her personal signature.
Although her figures have their roots in Erzgebirge, the designs are quite unique within the German folk art tradition. The people and animals in the extensive collection depict her native farming environment with barns typical of the region. Each figure created is an original, carved and painted entirely by hand. As such, they are extremely collectible. All are crafted of limewood, a superior medium for carving. Often used by Renaissance sculptors, this wood's fine, dense grain provides heft to the figures and takes up oil paint exceptionally well.
The Lotte Sievers-Hahn Workshop has been family-run in the town of Brockel since 1929. Its nativities continue to be treasured in families, passed on and collected through generations.