If you haven’t heard of them, or haven’t seen any willow figurines, you might think miniature people without faces sound downright a bit creepy. In fact, the figurines are starting to be one of the most beloved gift lines in the US and their popularity is starting to spread around the world. This article is written to explain why they don’t have faces, what their real purpose is, and what people do with them once they have bought them. This should give you a clear idea of ​​what the line is about and maybe even inspire you the next time you buy a gift or an ornament for your home.

Artist Susan Lordi has said that one of the sources of inspiration for her creations was dolls made for children by women from Amish communities. Within these communities, religious observance means that the dolls are made without facial features and this gave the artist a winning idea for a variety of figurines. With the face as a blank canvas, expression is left to body language to remarkable effect. Simply by the way a figure is seated, or tilts its head, without the need for further information, the viewer can connect with the actual purpose of the pieces. .

While initially a faceless figure might sound creepy, nothing could be further from the truth. It is about expressing many warm human feelings of love and capturing aspects of love relationships. There are figures representing mother-daughter relationships, father-daughter relationships, aspects of grandmother and grandfather’s kind wisdom, and children’s enthusiasm for life. There are also angels and some nativity figures for Christmas, including Mary and Joseph, the assistant animals and a background piece to represent a stable, so they are suitable gifts for Christian and Catholic people. While they will make a resounding gift or adornment for people in family situations and within Christian or Catholic homes, however, they also have broader appeal, especially to collectors.

Precisely because of their ‘blank canvas’ for the face, their appeal is quite universal, and many people have started collecting them. The range of available figures changes every year, some being “retired” as new ones are introduced. Since they do not define relationships strictly, they can attract a huge variety of people. People are likely to find that they add to your collection as they themselves move into new emotional territory and new relationships and then become attracted to particular new figures.

The ability to move with changes in people’s lives is probably one of the success factors in the range. Another can be your ‘fit’ with many occasions to give a gift: housewarming, condolence, birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and as tokens of friendship. Understanding that despite their blank faces, they are full of emotion, it might help the next time you need a new gift or ornament; you might want to take a look at the line to see what all the fuss is about.