What a sweet little set to add to your Autumn/Thanksgiving mantel or bookshelf décor! This is a set of vintage Norleans Japan ceramic figures of little Hummel "look-alike" kneeling girls with their orange dresses, white aprons, braided pig tails and sweet, cherubic faces.

This style was fairly common in the 1940s as inexpensive ceramics, hand painted, from Japan was one of the ways to bring the country back into the world economy after the war. Often the pieces were similar in presentation to Hummel figurines, but much more rudimentary and painted with a less detailed style. They are getting harder and harder to find as the Greatest Generation's estates, who were the collectors, are less and less common. This is a really charming example of that period work and I thought to find a set would be perfect for the fall season.

The bottom of both has the original Norleans Japan silver foil stickers.

The paint on these two young ladies is very haphazardly applied, but that was the way it was done originally. I do not believe the paint has rubbed off with age, but rather it was always this way. There are spots where the paint has chipped on the brown hair. There are some chips in the ceramic - one on the side of the head, and on the four tips of the red bows. The white apron on one of the girls also has a bit more paint loss. They are very similar in appearance, but the eyelashes on one are much more prominent than the other. The bottoms are unpainted and unglazed. There are usage marks on the bottom.

If the rough paint spots took away your enjoyment of this vintage set, some touch up painting would be very easy to accomplish.

Dimensions:
5" tall
2 3/4" wide (at widest point)
2 1/2" deep

Sold as a Set of Two