Alissa Blaney Home Paintings Sculpture About Contact

Title: La Befana Medium: Polymer Clay, foam, wire, acrylic, broom, cauldron Size: 10 " in height Commissioned by Patrick Dougherty There is an Italian variation of the Santa Claus legend, concerning a little old woman known as La Befana. They say that when the Three Wise Men travelled to find Jesus, they stopped at her home to rest, and told her of their search. She wanted to go with them....but there was the cleaning to do...and the baking...and she had to feed the animals. She told them she would catch up, but when she had finished, she couldn't find the way they had gone. To this day, she travels the world looking for the Christ Child, not knowing which child he might be. So she gives presents to all the children and sweeps their floor clean with the broom.