Susan's Christmas Shop Newsletter
Eusebia Shije
May, 2026
Dear Customers and Friends of Susan's Christmas Shop,
Many years ago, when I was a young college student at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, I was taken to Zia Pueblo, a hill village west of Bernalillo. I was introduced to several Zia Indians there, who became good friends. One of them was Eusebia Shije. Eusebia made Zia pottery. Eusebia's mother was Lucinda Toribio, also a potter. Lucinda was photographed by Edward Curtis a hundred years ago. The photo is titled Sia Street Scene. Lucinda was no longer alive when I met Eusebia, but surely, she taught her daughter to make Zia pottery. Both were fine potters.
This is a detail of the photograph Curtis took in the plaza of Zia in 1925, close to where Eusebia's daughters and I gathered on Easter Sunday this year during a break in the dance in which they were participating. The canteen is by Eusebia and was a wedding gift from her in 1965. Eusebia also met my parents and became friends. Eusebia sold her pottery at the annual Indian Market in Santa Fe for many years, and she usually stayed with me during that weekend. Eventually she decided not to do major shows on the plaza of Santa Fe anymore. I miss those Indian Markets of years ago.
My parents moved from Santa Fe to the central California coast. As they got older, Eusebia wished to see them again. I arranged for Eusebia to fly to California for a visit. On that trip, I wrote a long letter about all the "firsts" of that trip...Eusebia's first airport, her first window seat, first moving sidewalk, first lost luggage, and first view of the magnificent Pacific Ocean. That letter will be included in my next book, a book of some of my favorite handwritten letters. The working title is More Soon, Love, Susan. Sunstone Press is the Publisher. It should be printed before Christmas. I will let you know when it is available.
Eusebia's death at the age of 89 was sudden and unexpected. Melissa and I went to her funeral in the ancient adobe Zia church, which is older than what is frequently called "the oldest church" in Santa Fe. The Zia church was built in 1613. After the Pueblo Revolt, the church was made shorter, but it is still the same Zia church. Eusebia's house is opposite the church; her grave is beside the churchyard. We watched her burial.
Melissa and I invited the surviving children of Eusebia and their spouses to dinner at my house. There were twelve guests. I have a collection of pueblo pottery, some of them made by Eusebia. Melissa's house is just across the street from mine. She also has a collection of pueblo pottery; some inherited from her grandmother. Every pueblo pot in both houses was closely inspected by the Zia guests. The pots have never been examined so closely.
Melissa made a delicious eggplant parmesan with two sauces made from scratch. They loved it. I made a large salad and biscochitos in my fancy style, inspired by the Zia biscochitos I first saw in Eusebia's kitchen. Eusebia's daughter, Lucinda, said the fringe on the Zia biscochito is to remember those who have died. All the Zia ladies at the dinner wanted the recipe for my biscochitos, so I gave each of them a copy of my book, Christmas in Santa Fe. If you have that book, it is on page 31.
Lucinda brought red chile stew with meat. Now I want that recipe! She also brought lots of sliced pueblo oven bread. They brought me a beautiful wind chime with a gentle tone and a prayer on it, because they are concerned about my health. My cancer is still present; it is now called "chronic", but I feel fine and expect to live for many years. They brought a bookmark with St. Peregrin on it and a St. Peregrine Novena. He is the saint who helps with cancer. What a lovely friendship this is, which began so long ago!
Susan's Christmas Shop has always featured distinctive German products. This year we have lots of very nice Marolin items. These have been made by this family-owned business for more than a century.
This is the Richard Mahr family in 1910.
In 1900, Richard Mahr and his wife Minna began making papier-mache figures in the kitchen of their parent's home in Steinach, Germany. Most were nativity figures. By the1920's, Marolin's finely detailed figures were known internationally, and the company was shipping them abroad.
World War II resulted in big changes. When the wall dividing Germany was built, the Marolin business languished in East Germany. Then the East German government took over the company, and for twenty years, no figures were made. But when the wall fell in 1990, the descendants of the original owner were able to regain ownership of the company and renew its legacy. Now the famous Marolin figures are even better, and they make nativities in eight sizes, as well as stables in an "Oriental" style (evoking Bethlehem) and an "Alpine" style. Here is the Oriental style stable. It is large; eighteen inches wide, twelve inches tall, and eleven inches deep. The price is $325.
The Marolin nativity figures we have now will fit in either the Oriental style stable or the Alpine stable. Here it is in the Alpine stable. The Alpine stable is about ten inches wide at the base (fourteen inches wide at the eaves), eight inches tall, and almost seven inches deep. The price of the set of nativity figures is $650. Please call my shop for the price of the Alpine if you are interested. 505-983-2127
The Marolin company provides beautiful packaging for their figures, which increases the chances that they will become cherished family heirlooms for future generations.
The Marolin Miniature Nativity Is a wonderful addition to a collection and it is very portable. It comes in a wooden box with a curved top. The front and back panels slide out, and then are reversed, so that a colored landscape scene is visible behind the nativity figures. The small figures are glued in place. The wooden box comes nestled in a foam inside a sturdy box that is easy to open. The base of the nativity is seven inches wide by two and three quarters deep. The title of this set is "Magic of Christmas". The price is $295.
In addition to making figures for nativities, Marolin makes Santa figures and animals and Easter figures. All the details are carefully painted by master craftsmen.
The Marolin Company products are usually in a vintage style. They also make high quality nostalgic glass Christmas ornaments from old molds that are beautifully painted. I will take home one or two for my own collection this year.
Marolin 's Easter figures did not arrive in time for Easter this year, but we have them now, so you could plan for Easter of 2007.
The beautifully dressed standing Hare with an umbrella is eight inches tall. The price is $130. The sitting bunny can turn his head. He is a bit more than eight inches tall. The price is $175. Both come beautifully boxed.
If you like vintage German style, I have an embossed German cardboard nativity designed to hang on the wall and hold small calendar sheets for the twelve months of the year. The cardboard scene is eighteen inches wide and thirteen inches tall. They were presumably once common calendars in East German homes long ago, but now they are rare. I do not have the calendar pages, but the nativity scene is distinctive by itself. It has touches of gold on the wings of the little attending angels and the halos of the Holy Family. There is a bit of glitter on the latticework. I have only two copies of this nativity. They are $38 each. Please call if you want one. 505-577-6911
The Shed's intimate Prince Patio is now full of flowers.
Even the lady's bathroom has a large blossom.
You will notice these beautiful flowers if you come to lunch at The Shed. When you do, please stop by my shop to see all the German items we are now unpacking. If you live too far away to do this, I send my fond greetings, no matter where you are in this wide world.
Your friend in Santa Fe,
Susan Topp Weber
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