(2) Sets of Porcelain Goebel Hummel Monks Serveware Figurines. One set of three, with a salt and pepper shaker and a cream dispenser, and the other a set of two for cream and sugar. Marked on the bottoms. 

Condition: Excellent. 

Size: 3 x 4 x 5 in. 

Hummel figurines (also known as M.I. Hummel figurines or simply Hummels) are a series of porcelain figurines based on the drawings of Maria Innocentia Hummel. The sketch art of Maria Innocentia Hummel (born Berta Hummel) began to appear in the 1930s in Germany and Switzerland, mostly pastoral drawings of children. The German art publisher Ars Sacra was involved in the early popularization of the art on postcards. Hummel’s “art cards” became popular throughout Germany, catching the eye of Franz Goebel, porcelain maker and head of W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik. Goebel acquired rights to turn Hummel’s drawing into figurines, producing the first line in 1935. The figurines were introduced at the Leipzig Trade Fair, a major European show for the industry. Goebel was known for presenting new and novel products that attracted American distributors. By the end of the year, 46 M.I. Hummel motifs were on the market, and in America were sold at Marshall Field & Co. of Chicago as well as other retailers. After the end of World War II, the popularity of Hummel figurines grew as American soldiers stationed in West Germany began sending the figurines home as gifts. Nostalgia associated with the figurines and the U.S. soldiers buying them led to Hummel figurines becoming a popular collector’s item. Popularity increased even more when the figurines were sold by the Army PX system. As travel to Europe became more commonplace, the figurines, with their folkloric appearance, were often purchased as souvenirs. A vibrant speculator market in Hummel figurines developed in the 1970s, and Hummel figurines skyrocketed in price. M.I. Hummel collector plates made by Goebel and sold by the Goebel Collectors Club, were a prominent item in the Bradford Exchange, an American supplier of collectible plates. In 1977 the Goebel Collectors Club was founded in the United States, expanding internationally in 1989 and changing the name to the M.I. Hummel Club. At the height of their popularity prices ranged from just over $100 for simple figurines to well over $1,000 for larger and more intricate pieces. Production of Hummel figurines by Goebel was taken over in early 2009 by Manufaktur Rödental GmbH under the direction of Jörg Köster. Following the 2013 bankruptcy of Manufaktur Rödental, a new international management team took over the M.I. Hummel figurine business in 2014. Figurine production continued in Germany under Hummel Manufaktur GmbH, with North American distribution handled by Newboden Brands, until that company also declared bankruptcy in 2017. Bernd Foertsch, a businessman from Kulmbach, acquired Hummel Manufaktur and began restructuring the company to focus more on direct sales and to interact with the collector’s community. The Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels opened in its current location in Rosemont, Illinois on March 13th, 2011, named after the mayor of the town (a prolific collector), and purports to hold the largest collection of Hummel figurines in the world.

Excellent.