Hummel Figurines

I want to spotlight my first love -- Hummel. As I've said before, Hummel was my first exposure to figurines. My Mom had a handful of them and I loved them. The cheery little faces, the clothes, the colors!

The figurines are based on drawings and painting done by a German nun. Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel (she was born Berta Hummel) attended art school and then joined a convent. Although she died at age 37, her work lives on in the figurines.

One of my favorites was the "Apple Tree Boy." I thought it was amazing that he could be sitting in an apple tree while sitting on a shelf in my living room! The coloring in this figurine is exquisite. The apples are rendered perfectly.

From my own collection, I'll just share a few favorites. I recently picked up a "Stars & Stripes" figurine. It seems only fitting from our time in Germany. (My husband was stationed in Germany for two tours) While we were there, I had a blast picking up some hard to find and discontinued figurines, both for myself and Mom. During our first tour, we were so poor that I saved up for months to surprise Mom with a Hummel. I picked out the "Accordian Boy" figurine and packed it so carefully to make sure he made the trip home in one piece. I wish I'd been there when she opened the box.

When she passed away, I got her Hummels, including "Accordion." I can see them from where I'm sitting and they make me smile. I miss her very much. It's been almost 10 years since she died. I think that my love of figurines is at least partially a way to stay connected to her..... OK, enough of being sad! Let's talk about a few more Hummels!

To continue our musical theme, I picked up "Cheerful Tune" to go with the "Boy with Accordion". The colors are more muted in "Cheerful" but it's OK. It doesn't look weird or anything.

The Hummels have a special place in my heart -- I know that I'll always collect them. The figurines evoke to a simpler time and remind me of my childhood. I hope that one day my daughter will carry on the family tradition of collecting Hummels.