The bottom looks like it's plaster of Paris....is it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Plaster figurine

Don't think it's a Hummel. I have Hummel the complete collector's guide and illustrated reference by Robert L. Miller & Eric Ehrmann, Just got it at TS. I thought it might be number as 193b or something but it isn't. Just looking at her she doesn't have the same coloring. Hummels are more muted with turquoise, muted green, grayish, browns & tans & peach. Probably another Germany company, I would think it has value as that was just before the war. She's cute, maybe someone that deals with figurines knows more!

Hummels are one of the most counterfeted figurines. Also, the hand painting on Hummels is more of a matte finish, not the high gloss of your figurine. Have 50 Hummels and 700 Precious Moments figurines. Have never seen a fake PM, as the bisque finish is very difficult to match.

I don't believe it's a "fake" anything...it's a "real" plaster figure in the peasant German style. It very likely pre-dates Gobel's first offering of the work of Sister Maria Innocentia.
Linda C

It's not plaster, too much freedom (arm, cap); plaster would have broken over the last 80 years.
It's ceramic. Are small plaster figurines hollow? I thought they were all solid, or is that only plaster carnival-ware?
My mom had a bunch of old figurines like these, all unmarked, that she collected in her girlhood in the 30's. The modeling of the faces is similar. Disney meets Lenni Riefenstahl.

Casey

Perhaps if I called it "chalk ware" you would be more convinced?
http://www.tace.com/antiques_and_collectibles/items_forsale/35976.html
And
http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/antique_detective0606.htm

I am not suggesting that this piece in mid 19th century, nor do I think it's 1940's style carnival chippy cheap plaster. But rather that is's a pretty high quality plaster, finished with gelatin or whatever to smooth and strengthen it and painted and kept carefully for 80 or more years.
I have most of a manger set from the very early 1930's.
Gobel didn't start making the porcelain figures of I.M. Hummel's art work until 1935.
Linda C

Trying to judge if it's chalkware from this photograph would be difficult. A fingernail to the bottom of the figurine would settle that. It may just be a light clay. Maybe I dig it would be willing to test it, ever so lightly.

Hello everyone,
I checked the bottom of the figurine again, and although it does feel chalky, I couldn't make a scratch in it with my fingernail. I don't really know the difference between chalkware or ceramic, but this figurine has the same "feel" to it as a Hummel. I also noticed the similarity to the dots on her dress, as those often seen on some Hummels.
Here's the mystery. My friend's mother says her mother brought this back from Germany and said it was hand painted by Berta Hummel herself, thus starting her passion for collecting Hummel figurines. There's no way to corroborate the story now as grandma's gone.
Do any of the avid Hummel collectors here know if Berta Hummel did in fact make any figurines before the M.I. Hummel line was launched? What about prototypes? I just can't seem to find any information on the maker of this figurine or find any other ones similar to it.
This figurine is 4 3/4" tall.
Thanks again for all your help.
Janet

According to the book I mentioned above, IM Hummel figures were made by Goebel starting in May 1935 & she had control over coloring & they held conferences & final models were shown for her approval, in other words W. Goebel did the work, she provided the two dimensional artworks & sketches. She died in 1946 of TB. That 1st yr. they put out 46 figurines. W. Goegel was a 4th generation co. that hired 350 workers. I don't see anywhere that she ever painted anything herself as far as the figurines.(Tho I seem to recall a pic of her holding 1 with brush in hand-maybe to show she was involved) She had done a lot of drawings & landscapes etc when in college! I don't see where she ever worked for anyone else either. She got in a lot of trouble as a child in school, always drawing & ignoring her studies, her parents saw a budding artist(father had wanted to be 1 but had to take over family business.In college she was pretty much the same but had an art teacher who saw her talent & helped her along. Then when she got TB they wanted her to go to Switzerland to recover(I don't think anyone did back then) but she refused to travel alone. She did get better & moved around some & got worse in Nov.'45 & died Nov.6,'46 at Siessen, Germany. They had a 2nd book of newer info.at TS but I wanted to read about her life. I don't have any Hummels but I found this very interesting!

Berta entered a Franciscan convent in 1931 and became Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel....hence the signature on her figurines "M.I. Hummel".
The convent needed money and sent Sister Maria's pictures to a publisher....who sold postcards with her drawings on it for a while and eventually a book was published and a copy got into the hands of Gobel, but in order to make the figures of her work, they had to get approval of the Mother Superior of the convent....who gave her permission as long as her mark "M.I Hummel" was well displayed on the piece.
And long after her death a portion of the proceeds from the sale of figurines bearing her signature went to the convent.

I am guessing that your friend's grandmother was remembering that the figure was made after a picture that was painted by Berta Hummel.

My mother had a small Hummel collection, and a Cupie collection. It didn't stop her from picking up a few similar pieces with the same feel. I suspect that could be the case here.

It's not chalkware if you can't scratch it with a fingernail.

Some prototype figurines were made of the Hummel line and they don't bear the traditional marks, but the only reference I could find about them suggests that they were terra cotta. I don't have an inkling about how this figurine connects with Hummels.

It never ceases to amaze me, all the spectulation given to a piece of dubious authenticity, not the least of which is Berta herself hand painting the piece. As John Stossel says, give me a break!

Without speculation, how else would anyone find out anything about any collectible?
This piece is authentic. The marking on the bottom is not faked.
I was only asking if indeed anyone could identify the maker of this figurine and told the history behind it. Whether or not it is related to the Hummel line is what the speculation is all about, but how else would you suggest one go about finding information about it then? Unless someone can give information to the contrary, the original story is all we have to go on.
In fact through some of the research we have been doing, there were several pieces made, but not approved by the Siessen Convent for production. These pieces depicted older looking men and women, often found in Sister M.I. Hummels early sketches. These pieces do not have the M.I. Hummel signature on them.

I thank everyone else for the information they offered in trying to help find the maker of this figurine.

Janet

To begin, Bertas early sketches were of children and she never made any figurines herself. Spend some time on google.From the very beginning, the Hummel figurines produced by Goebel had idenifiable markings. Also, Goebel was taken with Berta's drawings and saw a good thing. There is no evidence that any unmarked prototypes were ever produced and there is equally no evidence that Berta was ever involved in any way of the actual production or painting of the figurines.

Now, you, the OP, seem determined that your piece IS authentic, but of what. Now, I have no proof of this, but perhaps another company offered their version of Berta,s drawings before the version by Goebel was accepted. However,there is no evidence that such a thing happened.

The lettering on the bottom of your figurine appears to be hand lettered. I invite you again to spend some google time looking a Hummel marks and how they were produced. You can believe what you like. I was taking exception with what I described as unwarranted spectulation.

Doing a little more research....
It seems very likely it IS plaster.

http://global.ebay.com/1943_Herbert_Dubler_Crying_Children_Figurines_WW_Hummel/370203705933/item

The felt base has been removed from the bottom, and the paper sticker gone. The writing on the bottom was done by someone else, not the maker.

Order this book and read all about it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0870694979/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: Dubler figurines

If the "germany 1938" legend is forged, why is it glazed over with a dab of the same color that's on the base? (the gray/mauve kind of color) If it's glazed over, it must be original. Or are you saying that someone bought the bisques, and glazed and fired them elsewhere, adding the faked place & date?
Casey

No...it's not "glazed"...it's a figurine made of plaster in the US during WW II when Germany shut down production of the Goebel factory. Read the links I posted.
I think someone pulled off the green felt that would ahve been on the bottom and with that the foil sticker and wrote on the bottom Germany and a date.....I thought 38 but I think now it must have been 58, and perhaps dabbed it with clear nail polish so it wouldn't rub off.
Plaster of that period was not like the figurines from the carnival...it was mixed with a glue and fairly hard.

And likely is worth more than a "real" hummel...if you can find a collector.

I happen to be a 68 year old man with a full head of red hair. Your piece is only worth what someone is willing to pay.

You might go to library & try looking at book on German dolls, Germans made a lot of the dolls collected in this country, they also made the 1/2 dolls or pincushion dolls-top was doll, bottom was dress that was usually full. Some of those companies more than likely made figurines also. Might see something like your figurine used as half doll. Anyway it is worth a try. They made great tankards,character mugs & lithophanes-mine has a great pic of little girl feeding ducks that you can see when you hold to bright light. I think they made a lot of stuff for export so many companies involved.

"Your piece is only worth what someone is willing to pay."

Now that is the most accurate thing you have posted.
Absolutely true. As with any collectible.

But we were not really trying to find it's worth. Just trying to identify the maker.

I also offer my apology for referring to you, texasredhead as a she. That was a grammatical faux pas on my part.
I should be more careful when referring to someone in a specific gender.

Peace?

Today I was reading in "Antique Trader's Pottery & Porcelain Ceramics" book & was surprised to see Gobel made a lot of timers(kind with glass vial of sand for 1-3 min. egg I think) & egg cups in 1930's with lots of cute characters & many brightly colored. So try early Gobel & see what you come up with!