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FAIENCE
AN EARLY GOEBEL EXPERIMENT RESULTS IN RARE TREASURES FOR TODAY'S COLLECTORS
Once in a great while INSIGHTS may receive a letter from a Club member inquiring about an "odd-looking" M.I. hummel piece he or she has seen. The figurine is reported to be "shiny" and the colors "bright," very different from an authentic M.I. Hummel figurine. The member usually concludes that the piece is a "knock-ofF" made by some other company in imitation of a real M.I. hummel figurine.The member has jumped to the wrong conclusion. What he or she has actually spotted is an experimental M.I. Hummel produced by Goebel in the mid-1930's using a technique known as faence.
TRIAL AND ERROR
As soon as W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik entered into an agreement with Sister M.I. Hummel to produce figurines based on her artwork, a trial-and-error period began at the factory. Various materials were tried, including porcelain and terra cotta, before earthenware was selected. Different finishes and decorative techniques were applied, always with the goal of finding the best way to capture the special quality and spirit of Sister Hummel's artwork in three dimensions.
Samples of figurines with experimental materials and finishes were prepared and exhibited at international trade fairs, most notably the one held in Leipzig, Germany. Goebel was testing the public's reaction to these experiments. If the reaction was unfavorable, production would not advance beyond the sample stage. That is precisely what happened with the early faience figurines.
A HISTORY OF GLAZES
When Goebel began experimenting with faience - earthenware decorated with opaque colored glazes - an age-old decorative technique was actually being used. Since 3,000 B.C., colored glazes have been applied to ceramics, not only for decoration but also to make the ceramics watertight. The Chinese were using lead glazes in the third century B.C. Tin glazes originated in Mesopotamia and were used widely during the ninth century A.D. for tiles and objects of art. Examples have been found in the Near East, China and India. The Moors carried the tin-glazing technique to Spain, and Valencia became a famous glazing center.
In the 15th century, Italian potters at a town called Faenza adopted the technique to make majolica pottery. The name of the town was used to describe the method of producing this very popular pottery. (Faience is the French word for the porzellana di Faenza - now used to describe any kind of glazed pottery.)
The method spread to Florence, Urbino and Venice. Eventually France and the Netherlands produced tin-glazed wares in such renowned locations as Nevers, Rouen and Delft.
M.I. HUMMEL AND FAIENCE
Goebel's faience pieces were molded just like classic M.I. Hummel figurines. After firing, the pieces were dipped in a liquid tin glaze which gave the piece an overall white coating. But the figurines were not painted. Instead, colored glazes would be applied and the pieces refired. To prevent the figurines from sticking in the kiln, the tin glaze was wiped off the bottom of the bases before firing.
The M.I. Hummel faience pieces produced by Goebel had soft colors that flowed into one another, producing a rather muddled appearance. In some cases, the solid tin glaze left the M.I. Hummel signature partly illegible. The technique permitted only a narrow range of colors to be used, and the surface was glossier than desired. Goebel decided that the overall look was not in keeping with the character of the original artwork. So the technique was discontinued after only a limited quantity was produced.
WHERE ARE FAIENCE FIGURINES TODAY?
Actually, very few faience pieces are known to exist in private collections. That's good news for the M.I. Hummel-hunters among you, because there are probably more pieces out there, awaiting discovery!
The public is largely unaware of the origins of these unusual pieces, so prices have varied greatly and they've been sold for a fraction of their true value. These rare pieces should be valued at from $5,000 to $10,000, depending on their size and condition*. So if you're poking around at a flea market and the glint of a very shiny Merry Wanderer catches your eye, our best advice would be take a closer look!
*Figurines courtesy of Robert L. Miller's No.1 Price Guide to M.I. Hummel Figurines.. .5th Edition. Photos courtesy of Robert L. Miller. INSIGHTS wishes to thank Mr. Miller, internationally-known expert on M.I. Hummel figurines, for his assistance in preparing this article.