Coalport Figurines

I stumbled upon these beautiful female figurines recently -- Coalport Figurines. Well, what I stumbled on was a book about the figurines.

It's just one of those things -- standing at the thrift shop and you go "Hmm, what's this?" Flipping through the book, I saw all of these marvelous pictures. I'm not generally a "collector" collector. Like I'm not someone who feels comfortable spending $800 on a figurine just because it's a one-of-a-kind. If I love it, and I want to save up for it, fine, I'll buy it. But that's a lot of money! Even to someone like me, who loves figurines.

Coalport figurines are named after the town of Coalport, in England. The original factory was there, in the town. For the first 80 years, the factory specialized in tableware. They did a few specialized pieces but almost all of their output was for the table.

Starting in the mid 1880's the factory got heavily into Parian. It's like an ersatz marble. Which lead me to another book.... It's like going down a rabbit hole sometimes. I like the look of Parian. I'm big on simple, clean lines. I don't know that I'll get into Parian in any sort of capacity. It might be just too much. I mean, there is only so much room in the house.

But maybe a small statue or two. I probably have held Parian in my hands without realizing that it wasn't porcelain. I swear, I still have so much to learn!

But back to the original point of this post! Coalport. The figurines are just gorgeous. There's some thing about the glaze that's most appealing. If you look at the picture at the left, you can see that the little house just glows with life. The Coalport workmanship is amazing.

Many of the figurines are female -- women in long dresses. They are not all of this style, but in my mind I think Scarlet O'Hara from Gone With the Wind. Those kinds of figurines -- gracefully, sweeping, delicate.

I've seen some discontinued figurines online for $100-$150. I might just pick one up and see what I think. In the meantime, the book (although it's almost 10 years old) is a fun way to pass the time.

Betty Boop Figurines

What is it about Betty Boop? Here's a dame who's just about to turn 80 and she's still going strong. Betty Boop merchandise (particularly the figurines!) is amazingly popular. She's had a resurgence since the early 80's and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Is it the sexy side of her? That's what I think. Betty Boop is voluptuous and proud of it. Her sexuality is not hidden. In 1930, when she first made the cartoon scene, she was the only mature female on the screen. All the other females were either little girls or quasi-animals, like Minnie Mouse. Betty, in contrast, had cleavage.

Any Betty Boop fan will love the "calendar girl" collection. The Halloween figurine is really fun. Betty is slinky in her black dress with a high slit up the side. St. Patty's day figurine is more traditional. She's doing a flapper sort of a move and if it weren't for the green dress with gold shamrocks, you'd never know it was a calendar theme.

I like the more traditional "white dress" figurine. Classic Betty Boop. She's sexy and pouty with hands on hips. The feather boa adds just the perfect accent. Of course, there's also something to be said for the "hula girl" figurine (that's the month of June in the calendar girl collection, by the way) since it hearkens back to an early and risque cartoon. The cartoon was called "Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle" and Betty wears a grass skirt and a lei. And earrings. Nothing else. Pretty wild for 1932.

The calendar girls figurines are about $12 each, so it's an easy way to get into the world of Betty Boop figurines. But it's not the only way. There are Betty Boop bobblehead dolls and Betty Boop keychains, pillows, throws and watches. Coffee mugs, photo frames and lamps. But since this blog is all about figurines, that's what matters to me.

Willow Tree Nativity

If you are in the market for a new holiday creche or nativity scene, consider buying a Willow Tree nativity set. Compared to many other figurine collections, the Willow Tree brand is very affordable. You can have the beginner set of figurines, which includes Mary & Joseph, and the infant Jesus, but also includes a young shepherd with a sheep in arms. It's a lovely start to what will become a Christmas tradition.

Additional pieces for the Willow Tree creche could include angels and, of course, the Three Wisemen. But you can also accessorize with additional animals and shepherds, as well as an actual creche backdrop. The accessories are reasonably priced: $60 for the Wisemen set or the Shepherd set and about $80 for the creche.

If your budget is smaller, you can get the Holy Family for about $65. Then through the years, you can add individual pieces to the scene. That's one of the beauties of a Willow Tree nativity, you can buy a single angel figurine for under $15. For years I have used nativity scenes as Christmas presents. A new couple, just starting out and celebrating their first Christmas as a family, will appreciate the thoughtful gift of a starter creche. And then, each year you can add to their nativity with a new piece! For some people that might seem hokey, but what's a better gift -- a gift certificate to a restaurant or something that evokes the real meaning behind the Christmas season?

Willow Tree was created by Susan Lordi and one of the things I love about the collection is the simplicity. Mary, with Jesus in her arms, creates a striking pose. But there's no eyes, no smile, on the figurine. Everything you get from looking at it comes from the pose. Mary is gently adjusting the cloth around her child's head. She leans in as though to whisper to Him. It's a perfect portrait of motherhood and it's all done in a few stokes.

I'm glad I found Willow Tree. The figurines are really beautiful and buying them for other people gives me joy. There's more than just the nativity pieces, of course and one of my favorite baby shower gifts is an "Angel of Mine" figurine. Mother and newborn caught in a moment of tenderness and quiet.

As the holiday draws closer and you're still trying to finish up your shopping, consider giving the gift of a Willow Tree nativity scene. It's a gift they'll cherish for years to come.