The humble Hummel
The houses of the older generation are often filled with precious things, some which aren’t nearly as financially valuable as their owners might like to think. So, if you’re eyeing up the treasured family collection of Hummel figurines, don’t get too excited. However, there are notable exceptions.
Even if you’ve no interest in porcelain ornaments, you’ll know a Hummel when you see one. The cutesy little figurines of Bavarian children are still hugely popular. “People get nostalgic about them,” says Linda Paine of Greystones Antiques. “I have to say that I don’t personally like them, but people seem to love them.”
Most vintage Hummel figurines sell for between
€40 and €75, but some of the rarer ones are considerably more valuable. One of the most sought after, Adventure Bound (Hummel #347), is currently on eBay for US
$2,400 (€2,046). The cheery little ceramic grouping of seven little boys heading off on an adventure is an intricate design and difficult to make, hence its rarity.
You’ll pay anything between €50 and €250 for Hummel’s most popular figurine, The Merry Wanderer (Hummel #7 and #11). It was first modelled by Arthur Moeller in 1935 and produced in many variations and sizes, hence the differences in price.
Hummel figurines get a rough ride in popular culture. In the animated TV series South Park (Episode 4, Season 9), Satan collects Hummel figurines. The web series, That Guy with the Glasses, implies that Hummel figurines are, if not actually satanic, at least possessed. In The Simpsons, Hummel figurines aren’t evil — they’re just uncool. Ned Flanders collects “Humble” figurines. Enough said.
So why all this Hummel-bashing? They’re sentimental, kitsch, and extremely unfashionable. Some people just can’t cope with their toe-curling cuteness but others find their innocence and positivity appealing. There’s an interesting story behind them too. The porcelain figurines are based on the drawings of a remarkable Franciscan nun who once stood up to Hitler.
Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel (1909-1946) painted pictures of children which were published as postcards in the 1930s. Her artwork caught the eye of Franz Goebel, owner of a struggling porcelain company and she agreed to let him reproduce her designs as figurines. Their agreement allowed her to sign off on the sculpting and painting of the models. The range was launched in 1935 under the trademark “M I Hummel.” The figurines were an instant success.
These were troubled times for Germany. In 1937, Hummel published a watercolour painting entitled The Volunteers. It showed two infant boys, goose-stepping in uni- son, and wearing long sleeved brown shirts reminiscent of the Sturmabteilung (SA) uniform. One carried a toy rifle, the other was beating a drum. Underneath, Hummel had written: “Dear Fatherland, let there be peace.”
The Nazi publication Der SA-Mann denounced Hummel: “there is no place in the ranks of German artists for the likes of her.” It described Hummel’s drawings of children as “hydrocephalic, club-footed goblins”.
The sale of Hummel’s drawings and figurines was forbidden in Nazi Germany but allowed abroad. The Nazis took half the profits; the other half provided an income for her Franciscan community until Hummel’s death from tuberculosis at the age of 37.
After the war, American soldiers purchased the figurines and sent them home as gifts. American people came to love the little Bavarian-costumed ornaments. In the 1970s, Goebel, producer of the Hummel brand, cashed in on this by making limited edition pieces for the collectors’ market, often marketed as investment pieces. It didn’t work out as planned. Elder Americans amassed huge collections only to find that tastes had changed and the younger generation wasn’t interested.
Now, the most collectible Hummels are compositions of more than one figurine (like Adventure Bound) and pieces that are over 80 years old.
To find out how old a Hummel is, look on the underside. Every authentic Hummel figurine will have a Goebel stamp. Each Hummel also has a model number assigned by Goebel that can be used to identify the figurine. For example, Happy Traveller, modelled by Arthur Moeller in 1938, will carry the number 109. But, as this piece was produced in all trademark time periods, you’ll have to check the date to determine its value.
Many of Hummel’s more religious pieces have found a place on the Christmas tree. Heavenly Angel (Hummel #21), which shows a girl trying to guard her candle flame from the wind, is one of the most popular.
You’ll also find a selection of Hummels at Greene’s Antiques in Drogheda, Co Louth priced between €35 and €75.
See greystonesantiques.com and greenesantiques.ie. You can find a guide to identifying, dating, and calculating the value of Hummel figurines on antique-hq.com.