Italian Lepi Nativity Scene

Q I have a set of nativity figures that came with a Certificate of Authenticity that says ”Original Lepi Woodcarvings.” It says they are made of maplewood, carved and painted at Ortisei in Val Gardena, Italy, ”following an original design of Rupert Reindl, our famous master sculptor.” I have the box they came in. I’d like to know something about the maker.

A Ortisei is an Italian town in Val Gardena (Garden Valley). Woodcarvers have worked in this area since the 1600s. At first, they made practical items for the home and farm. Eventually it became a center of decorative woodcarving, especially nativity sets and other figures. Lepi is a woodcarving workshop founded by Leo Prinoth in 1920. The company is still in business and makes wooden figures based on designs by Rupert Reindl (1908-1990) and other well-known woodcarvers. Christmas woodcarvings sell for half or less than the original price.