Porcelain Hummel Repair

Preserving the Work of an Artisan

Hummel figurines are some of the most sought after items of collectors all over the world. Its popularity began when American soldiers who were returning from Europe at the end of World War 2 brought these mementos from the Old World (Europe) to the New World (the Americas) as gifts to their family and friends. The Hummels, as they’re lovingly called, have passed on from one generation to the next and became true historic heirlooms.

Hummel Figurines’ Rise in Popularity

These porcelain figurines were the creation of Bertha Hummel, who started making them when she was a nun at the Convent of Siessen in Munich. Germany. That was in 1927 and she was then known as Sister Maria Innocentia. Her fine figurine artworks caught the interest of Mr. Goebel – a porcelain manufacturer and restoration expert who offered to produce them in a large scale. Sister Innocentia only acceded to Goebel’s request when he agreed to give her a significant role in the development and quality control of the figurine production. She passed away in 1946 but her works of art survived and are now some of the most sought after collector’s items in the world.

Hummels are often referred to in movies, TV shows, books and plays. In the off-Broadway musical Twenty Shades of Taste, by Milton Zeltser, one of the characters is called Hummel Schmumel. She is a ceramic restorer who lives in Brooklyn and restores antique figurines for a ruthless Irish mobster who has a penchant for decorative porcelain and nylon stockings.

Several TV shows used a Hummel figurine as either a bone of contention between lovers or as a plot device.

Jack Nicholson’s character in About Schmidt purchases several Hummel figurines because his late wife loved to collect and restore them.

The Need for Porcelain Hummel Repair

Due to its rarity, any Hummel figurine that was produced in the middle 1900s commands a high price. But this is only possible if a Hummel figurine is repaired correctly. There are many porcelain hummel repair studios out there, but only few of them specialize in invisible restoration of Hummels. So if you have a damaged figurine, it would be worth your while to have it restored professionally.

You can make a lot of money if you have several of these figurines. Just have them restored to their original condition and sell them at the prevailing prices to those who are looking for them. It may interest you to know that a small 2.75 inches Hummel figurine can cost up to $200.00. The price of a Hummel figurine measuring 7.5 inches can go up to $1,600.

hummel-repair

How Hummel Repair is performed

The restoration process of your Hummel figurine will depend on the type of figurine and extent of damage. If the damage is extensive, the process will include gluing and joining of the broken pieces. It may also involve sculpting additional parts, airbrushing and glazing. This may take a little time since some of the process may have to be repeated to get the desired result.

The restoration of Hummel figurines is not something an amateur can do easily. This is something that can only be accomplished by an artisan or a craftsman who has the skills, experience and knowledge of the required restoration work. Depending on the requirement, he/she can repair Hummel figurine using the Invisible repair method or the Museum Quality repair process. The first method will cover all the hairline cracks as well as the jointed parts and restore all the fine details and colors of the original figurine, so it’s impossible to tell with naked eye that the figurine has been restored; the second method involves gluing the broken parts together, to show that the item had been damaged and what kind of repair has been done.

 

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