Perhaps the most familiar name connected with Oaxacan woodcarving is Manuel Jiménez. We visited him first at his home in Arrazola, Oaxaca, in the summer of 1983. I, of course, wanted to buy one of his Nativities. He, a deeply religious man, wanted to interview me to be sure that I would provide a good home for his work. We even read the Bible together. Mary, Joseph, and the three Kings are dressed traditionally, but the other figures are slightly outside the norm. The Babe appears to be a small man (but, after all, He is the most important person in the Nativity scene!). The shepherd boy is dressed in a medieval outfit (perhaps Sr. Jiménez saw a picture of a Nativity of an earlier time). The sheep he holds is separately carved. The peasant woman carries a basket on her head. The animals are outstanding. What I believe to be a sheep is tall and green, while the kneeling bull is bright red with blue ears. Only the donkey looks like himself. (basic set purchased from the artist in August, 1983; the Three Kings, in May, 1995)