Nativity

Nairi Safaryan's Nativity portrays the ancient way Armenian shepherds constructed a stable. It is a very old building technique and Armenia is the oldest Christian country in the world. First posts are driven into the ground and then crosswise branches stabilize the posts. The floor is laid with flat stone and then strewn with straw. 
The headgear and dress on the figures are typical of the Armenian culture. The expressions on the people in the scene portray the awe they feel at this important event. 
The details in this setting are so fine that you can look for many minutes and see new expressions, items and more in this scene. It's easy to imagine what the figures might be seeing or thinking. The shepherd at the foreground right is pointing at the star that heralded Jesus birth. 
The scene is created from pear wood and covered with a coat of beeswax. The carving is made even more challenging by the fact that this is an extremely hard wood.