This early Hummel #16’Little Hiker’ figurine is beautifully painted and in perfect condition for its age! The’M I Hummel’ signature is impressed in the base. The Stamped Crown mark (TMK-1) shows it was made in Germany by Goebel between 1935 and 1949. The incised product number 16 is not very clear; see pix. This Hummel (5.5 inches) has been carefully kept and is in excellent condition with no repairs, chips, cracks, or crazing. ABOUT HUMMELS. Hummels are the result of a partnership between Sister Maria Innocentina Hummel, Franz Goebel and The Convent of the Siessen in the 1930’s. The sketch art of Sister Maria Innocentia began to appear on in the 1930s in Germany and Switzerland, mostly pastoral drawings of children. Around 1934 porcelain maker Franz Goebel saw the drawings and thought they could be turned into porcelain figurines. The agreement with Goebel was that the sister would have final approval over every figurine and that it would be incised with her signature. To this day, each Hummel must be approved by the Convent of Siessen. These figures became extremely popular in the U. Especially with German immigrants on the East Coast. The popularity of the Hummel continued to grow around the end of World War II when many American soldiers overseas saw the Hummel as a great gift to send home to their mothers and sweethearts.