Cires de Nancy, Paradise of waxes and fabrics

Throughout the 18th century in Lorraine, and particularly in Nancy, craftsmen worked wax with art and dexterity, dressing it in precious fabrics. They produced a large number of patronymic waxworks, as well as boxes depicting episodes from the Gospels: the Annunciation, the Crib, the Temptation of Christ, the Last Supper, the Mount of Olives, Calvary, the Samaritan woman, etc. Although long forgotten, these creations were very popular in their day, and not just in the region, as some Lorraine workshops moved to Paris. These wax figures also produced portraits on request, of which very few remain today. The exhibition brings together more than two hundred pieces from Nancy, from the extraordinary collection of the Trésors de ferveur association (Chalon-sur-Saône) and its President Thierry Pinette, as well as a number of boxes made in Lorraine from 'spare parts' from the Nancy workshops.