CHF 6.50
You sit down to read a book. On your desk or bedside table, she’s already there, the little cat figurine. She looks at you kindly, as if she might come over for a few gentle strokes. Her soft curves and flowing glaze give her a character all her own. Made of fine ceramic, she’s not only a charming companion but also practical: when you open the window, her weight keeps your letters and notes from flying away. A small, quiet friend who brings warmth and tranquility to your space.
With your order, you will receive one of these charming cat figurines. Each piece is carefully and lovingly packaged and shipped directly from our warehouse in Switzerland.
Since the dawn of humanity, people have sought to capture themselves and their world in small forms, in statuettes, tiny likenesses made of stone, clay, or bone. These small figures are more than mere reproductions: they bear witness to the human need to give meaning and beauty a tangible form. As early as the Stone Age, they were created, like the famous Venus of Willendorf, round, mysterious, and about 25,000 years old. Such Venus figurines often symbolized fertility, hope, or protection. Animals, too, were depicted, their forms carved from soft ivory or hard stone.
The statuette is a mirror of civilization. In the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, it served the worship of gods and ancestors. In Egypt, for instance, small figures known as *ushabti* were placed in tombs to accompany the deceased. They were meant to serve them in the afterlife, as loyal companions or workers in the realm of the dead. Each of these statuettes carried a quiet yet powerful significance: it bridged the earthly with the eternal.
During the Middle Ages, the art of the small figure lost some of its importance, but with the Renaissance, interest was rekindled. Artists began creating statuettes not only for religious purposes but also as refined objects of everyday life, small sculptures that adorned tables, chambers, and collections. In 15th- and 16th-century Italy and Germany, this art form reached new heights.
Whether made of marble, bronze, or clay, every statuette carries the spirit of its creator. Its flowing lines and delicate details tell stories of faith, beauty, and human imagination. Some are only a few centimeters tall, others nearly half a meter. Yet regardless of size, they all possess a quiet strength, the ability to capture the viewer’s gaze and transport them to another time.
One of the oldest known statuettes, carved from mammoth ivory, was discovered in the Vogelherd Cave in the Swabian Jura. It is around 40,000 years old and is considered one of humanity’s earliest works of art. However small it may be, it carries a mighty legacy: proof that art, and with it, the desire to understand the world, is as old as humankind itself.
Back