These little figurines are called santons, which means little saints, and are used in nativity scenes. As you can see they aren’t limited to Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. In fact according to one article I read about them, there are 55 different figures, representing a whole range of characters from a 19th century Provencal village: the blind man, the knife sharpener, the women selling fish and fruit, and so on. They are made of terracotta, and hand-painted. They have been a Provencal tradition since about 1800, when churches were closed and large nativity scenes banned during the French Revolution.
You can read about them here: http://www.francetoday.com/articles/2012/12/22/the_santons_of_provence.html
In Aix there was a special santon market, with stalls from six santonniers (makers).
Amongst the Christmas market stalls on the Cours Mirabeau there was a complete santon village, behind glass. The nativity scene in the stable is just part of the village scene, which is a nice idea. It’s to the right under the angel.
These are the santons we bought for ourselves.
lynneinpadova 