I know it is after Christmas and all, but I don't think there's a bad time to talk about angels. I don't mean in a religious way, or even in a New Age-y way. I mean (of course!) figurines. Angel figurines!
I have my favorites and I'll highlight a few up and comers, too. Two of my favorites are Precious Moments and Willow Tree. And they could not be any more different! You've heard me talk about Willow Tree already, so I'll start with Precious Moments.
Precious Moments figurines are here because of two men. Sam Butcher and Bill Biel. Sam is the artist who created the adorable, big-eyed children. At first, like Hummells, there were greetin
g cards and a few years later, Enesco Corporation began to produce figurines. That was 1978 and today there are over a thousand different figurines in the collection. It's a amazing story of faith and friendship.
The Precious Moments angel figurines are more human than some other figurine lines. A popular seller in 2009 is a perfect example. "May Your Faith Light The Way" is a figurine of a little girl with a candle. She is, in the truest sense of the word, an angel even though she doesn't have wings. A more traditional angel figurine is "In The Radiance of Heaven's Light." She has wings and a star on her brow. The angel figurines "Angel of Mercy" and "Angel of Peace" are two more perfect (and popular!) examples of Precious Moments angels. One more example to offer -- some of the angel figurines have halos to complete their heavenly outfit. One of my personal favorites is "A Child is a Gift of the Lord" where the sweet little angel is bending over a baby in a basket. It's like she's delivering the baby to the brand new parents.
Willow Tree angel figurines are stark in comparison to Precious Moments angels. Now that I'm older, it's the look I prefer. The angels, like all Willow Tree figurines, have muted colors and no facial features. They do have wings, but no halos. "Angel of Prayer" and "Angel of Healing" are two very popular figurines in the collection. When friends are dealing with a health crisis, an "Angel of Healing" figurine shows them that I love them. It's a small thing, but I do believe in the power of positive thinking and the angel figurines can help!
There's a whole world, maybe even a universe, of angel figurines to choose from. Find the collection that really speaks to you. There's one out there, I'm sure of it. I'll highlight angel figurines again, I promise!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
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.
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.
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!
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.
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