These days when collectors think about angel figurines, they think of two lines: Willow Tree and Precious Moments. They are both wildly popular and have done a lot to bring angel figurines to the forefront.
Precious Moments have been around since the late 70s. Like so many now popular figurines, the line started as a set of greeting cards. Artist Sam Butcher created these cute, doe-eyed little children for a line of greeting cards. He and his friend Bill Biel quickly sold out of the greeting cards and it wasn’t long before the figurines were being produced. They never looked back.
What makes the figurines so popular is the cute kids. Each Precious Moments figurine is a representation of an adorable child. Their clothes are simple and well rendered. They tend to have little touches that make the difference, things like halos and wings. The figurines are prefect gifts for children, because they are colorful and simple in their message. While the line is very religious, the message is generally Christian, not specific to a denomination. So a Catholic or a Lutheran could give one as a gift just as easily as a Southern Baptist. Precious Moments angels are the most popular part of the line.
Willow Tree could not be more different than Precious Moments. Where the latter uses facial expressions and bright colors, the former eschews facial features and almost all coloring. The figurines usually have ivory and earth tones for coloration. The Willow Tree figurines have grown on me. I don’t know that I would have liked them when I was younger. The lack of faces can be startling and off-putting to many people. I love the flowing lines of the figures, however. They are like mini sculptures, works of art. The Willow Tree nativity is a wonderful collection that brings together the great angel figurines from the line and combines that with a beautiful and serene Holy Family.
So whatever your taste in figurines, both collections offer great breadth within the line. You can choose from hundreds of designs. With the popularity of angels as a subject matter, you can find an angel to fit your needs. Both lines are fairly inexpensive, although both of them do have some rarities that could cost you some serious money to add to your collection. Angels are a lovely addition to your home. Decide which style you like and enjoy the beauty of having an angel in the house. Angel Figurine Collection