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Afigurine (adiminutive form of the wordfigure) orstatuette is a small, three-dimensionalsculpture that represents a human,deity oranimal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, withclay, metal, wood, glass, and today plastic or resin the most significant. Ceramic figurines not made ofporcelain are calledterracottas in historical contexts.
Figures with movable parts, allowing limbs to be posed, are more likely to be calleddolls,mannequins, oraction figures; orrobots orautomata, if they can move on their own. Figurines andminiatures are sometimes used inboard games, such aschess, and tabletoprole playing games.
The main difference between a figurine and astatue is size. There is no agreed limit, but typically objects are called "figurines" up to a height of perhaps two feet (60 cm), though most types are less than one foot (30 cm) high.
In China, there are extantNeolithic figurines.[1]
European prehistoric figurines of women, some appearing pregnant, are calledVenus figurines, because of their presumed connection to fertility. The two oldest known examples are made of stone, were found in Africa and Asia,[citation needed] and are several hundred thousand years old. Many made of fired clay have been found in Europe that date to 25–30,000 BC, and are the oldestceramics known.
Olmec figurines in semi-precious stones and pottery had a wide influence all overMesoamerica about 1000–500 BC, and were apparently usually kept in houses.
These early figurines are among the first signs of human culture. One cannot know in some cases how they were used. They probably had religious or ceremonial significance and may have been used in many types of rituals. Many are found in burials. Some may have been worn asjewelry or intended to amuse children.
Porcelain and other ceramics are common materials for figurines. AncientGreek terracotta figurines, made in moulds, were a large industry by theHellenistic period, and ones in bronze also very common. InRoman art bronze came to predominate. Most of these were religious, and deposited in large numbers in temples asvotive offerings, or kept in the home and sometimes buried with their owner. But types such asTanagra figurines included many purely decorative subjects, such as fashionable ladies. There are many early examples fromChina, mainly religious figures inDehua porcelain, which drove the experimentation in Europe to replicate the process.
The first European porcelain figurines, were produced inMeissen porcelain, initially in a plain glazed white, but soon brightly painted inoverglaze "enamels", and were soon produced by nearly all European porcelain factories. The initial function of these seems to have been as permanent versions ofsugar sculptures which were used to decorate tables on special occasions by European elites, but they soon found a place on mantelpieces and side tables. There was already some production ofearthenware figures inEnglish delftware andstoneware, for example byJohn Dwight of theFulham Pottery in London, and after 1720 such figures became more popular. By around 1750 pottery figures were being produced in large numbers all over Europe.Staffordshire figures were cheaper versions inearthenware, and by the late 19th century especially noted forStaffordshire dog figurines.
Genre figurines of gallant scenes, beggars or figurines of saints are carved from pinewood inVal Gardena,South Tyrol (Italy), since the 17th century.
Significant types:
Modern figurines, particularly those made of plastic, are often referred to asfigures. They can encompass modernaction figures and othermodel figures as well asPrecious Moments figurines andHummel figurines,Bobbleheads,Sebastian Miniatures and other kinds of memorabilia. Some companies which produce porcelain figurines areRoyal Doulton,Lladró and Camal Enterprises.[2]
Figurines of comic book or sci-fi/fantasy characters without movable parts have been referred to by the termsinaction figures (originally used to describeKevin Smith'sView Askew figurines) andstaction figures (aportmanteau of statue and action figures coined byFour Horsemen artists to describeMasters of the Universe figures). AlsoAmiibo is a line of plastic figurines withNFC tags embedded to its base that can be used in order to interact with certain videogames forNintendo consoles.
Theminiature wargame hobby involves figurines such astoy soldiers representing armies in table top games. These figurines are mostly made of plastic and pewter, with some premium models being made of resin.
Figurines can also represent racial and ethnic slurs, for example,Jew with a coin figurines, and Mammy figurines.
For more images related for "Figurine", seeCategory:Figurines on Commons
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