Christmas crib figures are not just about the Holy Family and picturesque peasants click here to read about traditional santons. Some santon-makers are keen to give them a cheeky or surprising spin. Click here to book a hotel in Provence. The scatological "caganer" or "crapper" is a peasant applying low-cost manure to his own land: he is invariably portrayed with bare buttocks and a tell-tale turd behind him.
A traditional figure in Franco-Spanish Catalan cribs dating back to the 18th century, he has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity way beyond his south-western origins. In various guises, caganers have been selling like hot cakes at santon fairs in Spain and Southern France, and on the internet.
When the Barcelona City Council briefly ejected the caganer from its crib in on the grounds that he was breaking local sanitation laws, it created a public outcry and he was swiftly reinserted.
According to one historian, the caganer is both a symbol of fertility and an irreverent joke. It reminds us all that men and women, however famous or however humble, are equal when it comes to their bodily functions. Among luminaries to get a caganer makeover are Queen Elizabeth, pictured top left , Nicolas Sarkozy and President Obama. It's not irreverent to pop a caganer into a traditional crib scene, its enthusiasts claim, just as long as he or she remains tucked away discreetly at the back behind a shed or under a tree.
Her little minimalist santons, pictured , have no facial features, leaving you to project your own emotions into the scene. The subjects chosen by these santonniers are unexpected too. As well as the classic bearded shepherds and old ladies selling lavender, Darcq has a saxophonist and a scarecrow, while Frapolli's pilgrims to the holy crib might come from Africa or Asia.
