Goebel | Berta Hummel — Token of Love | Porcelain Figure Group | BH 20 | Thailand, 1996

Berta Hummel drew children the way children actually are — absorbed in small dramas, indifferent to being watched.

Berta Hummel (1909–1946), a German artist and Franciscan nun, created illustrations of childhood that would go on to form the basis of two distinct Goebel porcelain lines. The earlier M.I. Hummel figures, produced in Germany from 1935, became internationally recognised, while the later Berta Hummel series — introduced in the 1990s — returned more directly to her original artwork, produced under Goebel’s direction in Thailand. These later figures carry the “BH” model prefix and are often more understated in palette and modelling, closer in spirit to the illustrations from which they derive. Token of Love, model BH 20, issued in 1996, reflects this quieter approach — a small, self-contained moment rather than a staged scene.

The figure group is modelled on an oval naturalistic base finished in soft sage green. A girl stands to the left, slightly turned away, dressed in a cream-toned outfit with a orange bow in her hair. Beside her, a boy in a soft pink shirt, dark braces, and green lederhosen presents a small token held carefully in both hands. A secondary detail — a small dropped bow or flowers — rests at their feet, reinforcing the sense of a moment already in progress rather than one arranged for display. The modelling is rounded and gently detailed, with softened edges and naturalistic posture characteristic of the Berta Hummel line. The colouring is restrained and warm, with matte finish throughout. The reverse carries the moulded “Berta Hummel” signature, and the underside is printed with the full factory mark, title, model number, year, and country of manufacture.

There are no chips, cracks, or restoration. The surface is clean and well-preserved, with no visible wear. The condition is excellent.

• Maker: Goebel
• Series: Berta Hummel Figurines
• Title: Token of Love
• Model Number: BH 20
• Material: Porcelain (matte finish)
• Origin: Thailand
• Date: 1996
• Marks: Printed — “Token of Love / BH 20 / Goebel / 1996 / Thailand”; moulded — “Berta Hummel”
• Condition: Excellent — no chips, cracks or restoration

Collector Appeal

Later Berta Hummel figures occupy a quieter, less saturated corner of the Hummel market, appealing to collectors who prefer the softer, more illustrative interpretation of Hummel’s work over the more widely recognised M.I. Hummel output. Token of Love is a good example of this distinction — modest in scale, narrative-driven, and less commonly encountered than earlier German-made counterparts. It also sits comfortably as a single decorative piece or as part of a broader Hummel grouping.

The girl is not quite looking at the gift, and the boy is not quite sure she will — which is exactly how these things go.