The sheep on the left side of this beautiful nativity scene seems to be standing on its front legs, trying to kick Joseph in the knee.
The dove on Joseph’s crook is a nice touch. It’s only in the last three days that I’ve realized that Joseph is often depicted in nativity scenes holding a shepherd’s crook. Is this supposed to be some piece of gear he found lying around the barn?
M Iafrate has a nice version of the Christmas carol “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe” (mp3).
Thanks for the link!
Man, I’d never thought about Joseph’s crook. I think I always thought of it as just a walking stick. Mary gets the donkey, Joseph gets the crook. It’s a good point, though, that he wasn’t a shepherd.
That sheep does look kind of angry. Maybe it’s the shepherd’s staff.