While visiting Nashville, Tennessee, last year for a family wedding, we found ourselves with some free time and decided to visit the Upper Room Chapel and Christian Art Museum. Since it was November, the museum was featuring the “Night of the Child Nativity Exhibit.” Boasting 160 nativity scenes from around the world, the exhibit told the birth of Jesus through the eyes of more than 40 cultures. Nativity scenes ranged in size from 1 inch to 4 feet high and in materials from papier-mâché to exquisite porcelains. Dramatic as well as whimsical portrayals of Jesus’s birth were characterized.
To my surprise and great delight, we came across a display titled “Paper Doll Set from Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1954.” It caught my eye because it looked like the paper dolls of years ago. The family of the original owner had donated the nativity set to the museum, but little else was known about it. I took pictures through the glass case, but they were not good enough to print. A call to the museum put me in touch with Kathryn Kimball, the Museum Collections Manager, who graciously removed the set from the case and took the photos that are accompanying this article.
The Upper Room Chapel and Christian Art Museum are open year around to the public. The “Night of the Child Nativity Exhibit” is displayed from November through January, and a collection of Easter eggs are featured during Lent and Easter. Permanent exhibits include manuscripts, Bibles, porcelain figurines, rugs, and more. The Upper Room Chapel and Christian Art Museum is a hidden jewel in Nashville. Don’t miss it the next time you are in town.
—Used by permission from Barry D. Mueller, Doll Castle News, November/December 2018.
A Deeper Connection:
Learn more about the Paper Doll Nativity Set.
Admission to The Upper Room Chapel and Christian Art Museum is free. Museum hours are Monday–Friday, 8:00-4:30. 1908 Grand Ave. Nashville, TN. http://chapel.upperroom.org/. 615-340-7207.
Looking for a good read this Advent season? The Living Nativity introduces readers to the first nativity scene and its creator, St. Francis, and explores how Christmas carols, Advent wreaths, and other traditions help to prepare our hearts for the birth of the Christ Child.
Follow URbooks on Instagram and post your favorite nativity scene using the hashtag #MyLivingNativity.
For personal growth or for a small-group study, dive deeper into the book through an e-course.
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