Christmas paper cribs, created as an alternative to the traditional ones, were mainly designed for private use, bringing the tradition to even the most humble families. They spread thanks to their low price, facility and speed in assembling them in fact, when folded they look like a book and are very easy to open.
The crib is made with hand painted previously cut sheets of paper, which are gradually assembled to form a mobile scene of considerable depth.
The crib is in an excellent state of preservation, full of paper sheets, and it has retained a special colour freshness and brightness. Giuseppe Vallardi, after his brother Pietro's death on the 11 January 1819, took over the main shop, as described on the label ,which was in Contrada Margherita n. 1101 in Milan, and in fact our crib can be dated around this period. Giuseppe Vallardi combined the trade in books and prints with that in antiques, creating collections of paintings, drawings, bronzes, and cameos. He proved to be skilled in the business and, in fact, started lithographic production, which, in a short time gave him economic stability, allowing him to broaden his company's market.
In 1853 he left the business to his son Luigi Giuseppe.