In honor of the holiday season, the Art Institute of Chicago is exhibiting a recently acquired Neapolitan crèche (a set of statues depicting the scene of Jesus Christ’s birth) from the mid-18th century. The Art Institute’s crèche features over 200 intricately carved figures, animals and items of food and drink set in an ornate 14-by-15¼-foot Baroque cabinet with an elaborately painted backdrop. The work is one of the very few examples of its kind found outside of Naples.

Crèches date back to 4th century Rome, but it wasn’t until the 13th and 14th centuries, in part due to their association with Saint Francis of Assisi, that such scenes became a permanent feature of Neapolitan churches. During the 18th century, crèches took on a more dramatic, theatrical style and were often commissioned by churches, wealthy citizens, and members of the nobility.

The Art Institute of Chicago acquired the crèche from a Neapolitan collector in April. The work will be on view through January 8, 2014 and is slated to be shown once a year for six weeks during the holiday season.