Figurines and Their Meanings

A figurine is a three-dimensional representation of an object, usually made of a material like clay, metal, wood, or more recently plastic or resin. It is often used for decoration or as a collectible, and can be mass-produced or hand-crafted. Figurines can also be used for entertainment purposes, such as in board games like chess and tabletop role playing games. There are a wide range of figurines to choose from, and many are popular among collectors. They can be found in museums, gift shops, and on the Internet.

Figurines are usually a small figure representing people, deities or animals. They can be molded in clay or cast in bronze, although in early times they were usually carved from stone or other hard material. They are often painted, and sometimes even gilded or glazed. They can be as simple or complex as a single head and body, or they may represent a group of figures such as a family. In the past, figurines were primarily religious in nature and may have been kept in temples or in private homes. Later, they became a symbol of wealth and status. Full-size statues of saints and rulers were common for the wealthy, and tomb effigies, lying down in the manner of death, were also fairly common.

Some prehistoric European figurines of women, including some appearing pregnant, have been interpreted as symbols of fertility. These are known as Venus figurines. The earliest Venus figurines were made of stone, and were several thousand years old. Other Venus figurines were made of fired clay, and they date to 25-30,000 BC. Olmec figurines in semi-precious stones and pottery dominated Mesoamerica at 1000-500 BC.

The main difference between a figurine and a statue or a statuette is size: A statue can be any size, but figurines are generally smaller, with no agreed limit on the minimum size. Sculptures that are more than two feet high are usually called statues rather than figurines, and they are typically found in public buildings or parks. Figurines can be made of any material, but clay and metal are most commonly used.

Figurines that have movable limbs are more likely to be called dolls or mannequins than those without such movement, and they can be fixed in a certain pose, or “static”. The term “action figures” has been coined for comic book or sci-fi/fantasy characters with movable parts, which are also referred to as Amiibos when they can be interacted with in videogames for Nintendo consoles.