Willow Tree figurines are relative newbies on the giftware and home decor scene but from a tiny product range have grown to capture a massive worldwide fan base.
How on earth did this giftware line move from being a handful of products to a well known brand? This article explains the high-brow credentials of the women behind it all, the lines humble beginnings and the status of the figurines today.
This should give you a clear idea of the type of figurine you'll find and why people are buying them for gift ware and home decor.
Susan Lordi is now known as the artist behind the figurines - but less well known is that she is in fact a highly qualified fine artist with some rather high brow qualifications! Susan holds Masters level certificates in Fine Arts and Textile Design and in a previous incarnation was making something of a name for herself with her textile art.
She was listed in the reference book, 'Art Textiles of the World: USA Vol 1' for her cloth, devore and cloque artwork.
Although having a long-standing affinity for textiles, Susan chose to develop her next project as an utterly radical departure from this art scene.
The Willow Tree line of figurines was launched in 2000 without any textile mediums used at all.
Instead, there were fifteen angels and a handful of Christmas nativity figures launched for sale, all individually sculpted then reproduced on a grand scale so that they could be an everyday purchase as presents or as decorative items for the home.
From 2000, the line continued its now famous tradition of discontinuing pieces and replacing them with new ones in a continual creative cycle, expanding the availability to today's levels of over 300 pieces.
The consumer reaction has been strong, with Susan apparently asked to create figures featuring people from differing ethnic backgrounds, and even with special hair colors for particular events.
One example is the wedding cake topper which began as a figurine pair of lovers embracing, called 'Promise'.
This was then miniatures down to the size where it could be safely placed on the pinnacle tier of a wedding cake - and then the requests began for different hair colors.
Their appeal is deceptively simple - they always embody deeply felt universal human sentiments.
The emphasis is on positive aspects, such as love and family relationships, rather than becoming a theatrical montage akin to those famous dramatic masks, one laughing, and one crying.
Understanding the artists' genuine fine art background can help to explain why the line has been able to grow from a tiny customer base year after year to the huge range on sale today.