Cabinet of Curiosities, Ep. 6: Santons

The figurines with a French connection

Question: What does a 250-year-old clay-making craft from the Provence region of France have to do with the 70-year-old relationship between York and its twin city in Arles, France? For the answer, check out Episode 6 of our Cabinet of Curiosities video series. Bailey Lozanoff from our Collections Department brings our clay figurines, known by their French name santons, out of storage to examine their history and break down what it takes to care for them.

Watch all the episodes on our YouTube channel:

Episode 6: Santons

Episode 5: Scott Tissue Dress

Episode 4: Boiler Bolt and Lantern Ring

Episode 3: Plaster Fruits and Vegetables

Episode 2: Ebony and Ivory Elephants

Episode 1: The Colobus Monkey Fur Cape

About the Series

With close to 90,000 artifacts in our collection, the York County History Center has many items that are seldom or never on public display. In this new video series, Cabinets of Curiosities, we introduce you to some of the oddities in our vast collection.

Watch the video here.