A pretty figurine…isn’t the very concept reminiscent of romantic splendors and art wonders? Yes because figurines are minute forms of figures or statues of angels, humans and animals. They are much smaller than life-size and are fabulous iconic display of the imaginative thoughts of art creators. The earliest figurines were usually made of stones and metals but on recent days, the figurines are made of wood, plastic, ceramic and crystals.
With the society changing its norms from the earliest Anglo-Saxons to the contemporary Moderns, even figurines have undergone significant changes in their texture, stature and themes. While the earliest figures were mainly those of Greek goddesses like Venus, Aphrodite, Hera and Demeter, with time the concepts changed to depicting African, Asian and European princesses. The figurines are basically pretty pieces depicting men, women or a whole group enacting different feelings of laughter and sorrows.
The figurines were used for a variety of purposes. While some were used to serve as deities in religious and ceremonial occasions, some of the figurines depict special purposes. This means that a woman gifted with figurine of “pregnant Venus” implied wishing successful fertility. Since figurines are mainly female figures, so they make great gifts in wedding and other rituals. The figurines are also meant to amuse children who spend their time playing with them. Some of the figurines also serve as jewelry for women.
Recently, there are terms like Inaction figures and Staction figures that are used to refer to figurines of comic books or depict sci-fi/fantasy characters without movable parts. However, figurines with movable parts are more commonly known as dolls or action figures [robots or automata as they move on their own].
Another important type of figurine includes Olmec Figurine that describes a number of archetypal statues produced by inhabitants of Mesoamerica, bearing hallmarks of Olmec culture. These figurines are made of terracotta, serpentine, nephrite, jade, basalt and other priceless gems.
Other types of Olmec figurines are as follows:
- Transformation figurines- these figurines contained figures transforming from human to animal and vice versa.
- Naturalistic figurine- these include naturalistically portrayed human figures with big face, huge busts or tall legs.
- Fetal style figurines- these are mainly fetus figures depicting infanticide and infant sacrifices.
You can collect figurines of different ages to know more about the culture and spirit of that Age.