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A figurine (a
diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...
form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human,
deity A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with clay, metal, wood, glass, and today plastic or resin the most significant. Ceramic figurines not made of porcelain are called terracottas in historical contexts. Figures with movable parts, allowing limbs to be posed, are more likely to be called dolls, mannequins, or action figures; or robots or automata, if they can move on their own. Figurines and miniatures are sometimes used in board games, such as chess, and tabletop
role playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal a ...
s. The main difference between a figurine and a
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
is size. There is no agreed limit, but typically objects are called "figurines" up to a height of perhaps , though most types are less than high.


Prehistory

In China, there are extant Neolithic figurines. European prehistoric figurines of women, some appearing pregnant, are called Venus figurines, because of their presumed connection to fertility. The two oldest known examples are made of stone, were found in Africa and Asia, 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 oldest ceramics known. Olmec figurines in semi-precious stones and pottery had a wide influence all over Mesoamerica 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 as jewelry or intended to amuse children.


History

Porcelain and other ceramics are common materials for figurines. Ancient
Greek terracotta figurines Terracotta figurines are a mode of artistic and religious expression frequently found in ancient Greece. These figurines abound and provide an invaluable testimony to the everyday life and religion of the ancient Greeks. The so-called Tanagra fig ...
, made in moulds, were a large industry by the Hellenistic period, and ones in bronze also very common. In Roman art bronze came to predominate. Most of these were religious, and deposited in large numbers in temples as votives, or kept in the home and sometimes buried with their owner. But types such as
Tanagra figurine The Tanagra figurines were a mold-cast type of Greek terracotta figurines produced from the later fourth century BC, named after the Boeotian town of Tanagra, where many were excavated and which has given its name to the whole class. However, the ...
s included many purely decorative subjects, such as fashionable ladies. There are many early examples from
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, mainly religious figures in Dehua porcelain, which drove the experimentation in Europe to replicate the process. The first European porcelain figurines, were produced in Meissen porcelain, initially in a plain glazed white, but soon brightly painted in overglaze "enamels", and were soon produced by nearly all European porcelain factories. The initial function of these seems to have been as permanent versions of
sugar sculpture Sugar sculpture is the art of producing artistic centerpieces entirely composed of sugar and sugar derivatives. These were very popular at grand feasts from the Renaissance until at least the 18th century, and sometimes made by famous artists. ...
s 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 of
earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...
figures in English delftware and stoneware, for example by John Dwight of the
Fulham Pottery The Fulham Pottery was founded in Fulham, London, by John Dwight (potter), John Dwight in 1672, at the junction of New King's Road and Burlington Road, Fulham, not far from Putney Bridge. Dwight is the earliest clearly documented maker of stone ...
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 in
earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...
, and by the late 19th century especially noted for Staffordshire dog figurines. Genre figurines of gallant scenes, beggars or figurines of saints are carved from pinewood in Val Gardena, South Tyrol ( Italy), since the 17th century. Significant types: *
Ushabti The ushabti (also called shabti or shawabti, with a number of variant spellings) was a funerary figurine used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices. The Egyptological term is derived from , which replaced earlier , perhaps the nisba of "' ...
- Ancient Egypt, mostly placed in tombs * Olmec figurine * Psi and phi type figurine -
Mycenaean Greece Mycenaean Greece (or the Mycenaean civilization) was the last phase of the Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in ...
* Euphrates Syrian Pillar Figurines and Horses and Riders - Iron Age *
Tanagra figurine The Tanagra figurines were a mold-cast type of Greek terracotta figurines produced from the later fourth century BC, named after the Boeotian town of Tanagra, where many were excavated and which has given its name to the whole class. However, the ...
s - Hellenistic Greece * Tang dynasty tomb figures - China, c. 620-755 * Mississippian stone statuary - c. 800-1600 *
Staffordshire figures Staffordshire figures are a type of popular pottery figurine made in England from the 18th century onward. Most Staffordshire figures made from 1740 to 1900 were produced by small potteries and makers' marks are generally absent. Most Victorian f ...
- England, 1720 to present *
Santons A santon is a small hand-painted figurine cast in terracotta or a similar material that is used for building nativity scenes. Santons are a traditional product of the Provence region of southeastern France. A maker of santons is called a ''sant ...
- Provence, France, 18th century to present * Animal figurines * Model figure


Modern era

Modern figurines, particularly those made of plastic, are often referred to as ''figures''. They can encompass modern action figures and other model figures as well as Precious Moments figurines and Hummel figurines,
Bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to ...
s,
Sebastian Miniatures Sebastian Miniatures are a series of small ceramic sculptures or figurines first produced by Prescott Woodbury Baston Sr. in Arlington, Massachusetts in 1938. Many pieces are of historical figures such as George Washington, but are also of classic ...
and other kinds of memorabilia. Some companies which produce porcelain figurines are Royal Doulton,
Lladró Lladró () is a Spanish company based in Tavernes Blanques, Valencia, that produces high-end lighting, home accessories, decorative sculptures and porcelain figurines. History The company was founded in 1953 by three brothers, Juán, José and ...
and Camal Enterprises. Figurines of comic book or sci-fi/fantasy characters without movable parts have been referred to by the terms ''inaction figures'' (originally used to describe Kevin Smith's
View Askew View Askew Productions is an American film and television production company founded by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier in 1994. Actors Ben Affleck, Jeff Anderson, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Walter Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Br ...
figurines) and ''staction figures'' (a portmanteau of statue and action figures coined by Four Horsemen artists to describe ''
Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince Ada ...
'' figures). Also
Amiibo (, ; officially stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Ninten ...
is a line of plastic figurines with
NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...
tags embedded to its base that can be used in order to interact with certain videogames for
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
consoles. There is also a hobby known as mini war gaming in which players use figurines (for example toy soldiers) in table top based games. These figurines are mostly made of plastic and pewter. However, some premium models are made of resin. Figurines can also represent racial and ethnic slurs, for example,
Jew with a coin The Jew with a coin (, also little Jew (), or lucky Jew ()) is a good luck charm in Poland, where images or figurines of the character, usually accompanied by a proverb, are said to bring good fortune, particularly financially. For most Poles ...
figurines, and Mammy figurines.


Gallery

''For more images related for "Figurine", se
Figurines
on Commons'' File:Minoan figurine praying woman, 16 c BC, AS Berlin, Misc. 8092, 144324.jpg,
Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...
praying woman in bronze, 16th century BC File:Mixtec - Polychrome Standing Figure with Raised Hand - Walters 482812 - Three Quarter.jpg, Figurine from the Mixtec culture File:12 zodiac.jpg, The twelve Chinese zodiac figurines File:St Sebastian Groeden.jpg, 18th century Saint John Baptist pinewood polychrome figurine File:Bustelli Liebesgruppe Der gestörte Schläfer BNM.jpg, Franz Anton Bustelli, German porcelain group File:Porcelain Painter.jpg, Porcelain painter, Royal Copenhagen File:Porzellanfabrik-Goebel Hummelfigur.jpg, Hummel figurine File:Fallenastronautfigurinecrop.JPG, '' Fallen Astronaut'', Moon File:Muskeeter figurine.jpg, A
Musketeer A musketeer (french: mousquetaire) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare particularly in Europe as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a pre ...
figurine File:Mammies.jpg, Mammy figurines in the collection of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia File:Lladro Fisherboy Figurine.jpg, A
Lladró Lladró () is a Spanish company based in Tavernes Blanques, Valencia, that produces high-end lighting, home accessories, decorative sculptures and porcelain figurines. History The company was founded in 1953 by three brothers, Juán, José and ...
Fisher Boy porcelain figurine


References

{{Commons category Figurines Statues Types of sculpture Toy collecting