A line of ceramic figurines, based on the artistic style of German nun Maria Innocentia Hummel, Hummel figurines are uniformly "cute." The first figures were sold in 1935, and have since become a kitsch icon. The figurines are all based on the drawings and paintings of children by Hummel, who died in 1946.

Hummel figurine Christmas tree ornament

Though much of this art was done in the 1930s, the newer figures adopt a more contemporary appearance. The word, Hummel has also evolved into a generic term for figures of this type, much like Kleenex is to tissues.