World's smallest nativity scene

An Italian craftsman has created the world's smallest nativity scene - on the head of a pin. Aldo Caliro sculpted tiny hand carved figures of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and an angel together with a tiny baby jesus in his crib.

The whole scene fits on the top of the pin that was then mounted on a piece of velvet surrounded by a halo of diamonds that dwarf the figures.



Caliro then painted the figures in by hand using a single sable hair from a paintbrush.

And Caliro has now applied to enter the Guinness Book of Records. He said: "It was hard work, I started off creating a nativity scene on a lentil and a coffee bean to warm up - and then when I had perfected those I started work on the nativity scene on the head of the pin.

There's a photo gallery here.