Willard Wigan began fiddling in the sand making little houses for ants at a young age. He had dyslexia and learning difficulties and could escape an unforgiving world by making his own "little" world.
He went on to create figures made out of thread, dust, and tiny particles found in nature. His paintbrush is made of an insect's antennea. He's used spiderwebs and tiny pieces of thread in his work. His work is so small that it can only be seen with a microscope. He usually displays his figures on the head of pin or in the eye on a needle as seen below in the "Owl" and "Elephant". His contemporary display "cabinet" consists of a globe with a magnifyer lens and light attached which looks down upon the tiny figurine.
Willard works during the wee hours of the night. Before he sits down to work, he induces himself into a deep meditative state to reduce heavy breathing and hand tremors. Any vibrations caused by traffic or natural ocurrances disrupt his concentration and steadiness. His figurines are on exhibition and only a limited amount are available to the public. One figurine takes 3 months to complete. Famous collectors such as Prince Charles and Elton John are fortunate enough to own one which can cost upwards of $40,000.
USA Exhibition Dates
Online Store & Williard's Book
Featured Item!
Home Interiors "Tiny Tales"
Two adorable field mice sharing berries. Handpainted ceramic in a matte finish. Manufacturer's item #1443. Measures 4-1/4" tall x 4-1/2" wide. Made in China. Perfect condition with no nicks.
$8.99
Purchase from my store
Herend USA has a facinating history. It was founded in 1826 in Hungary as an earthenware producer. In 1851, Queen Victoria ordered a large set of Herend dinnerware and Herend was on it's way as being a known as a "royalty" company.
The folk figurine line was introduced in 1850. The signature black fishnet design was introduced in 1858 when an artist painted "fish scales" on a rooster to serve as feathers. Rust fishnet followed in 1870. When the popularity of Herend figurines rose in the 1950's, other colors were added to the line such as blue, green, raspberry, butterscotch, and chocolate.
Starting in 1957, Robert Grimm of Martin Herend Imports, Inc. was the sole importer of Herend products to the US. Today, Grimm's daughter and granddaughter are the proprietors to distribute Herend to over 400 authorized dealers in the U.S.
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Glossary ~
Porcelain
Usually white or light gray in color, porcelain is the highest quality of ceramic ware there is. Composed of clay, feldspar and flint, it is very durable despite the fact that it can appear quite delicate, and is fired at a very high temperature
Bone China
Bone china is a type of porcelain made from clay mixed with bone ash and is characterized by its strength, translucency and warm white color. It fires at a lower temperature than true porcelain.
China
Also known as kaolin, is a white soft clay derived from the decomposition of granite. China clay stands up to high temperatures in the kiln.
Ceramic
Made by shaping and then firing clay, a nonmetallic mineral, at a high temperature in which it produces a hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant product.
Back Stamps ~
Limited edition (LE): A decorative collectible may be limited by a specific, announced number (such as 5,000 or 10,000) or by time period. Limited edition items typically show two sets of numbers, usually on the base of the item. The higher number indicates the total number produced while the lower number indicates which one you have. Limited editions often come with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
Firing limit: Companies such as Avon, Bing & Grondahl, Bradford Exchange, Franklin Mint, Danbury Mint, Hamilton Collection, Knowles, and Royal Copenhagen and others can choose to set a firing limit, meaning that they only make an item during a specified number of firing days. A series of items with a lower firing limit typically has fewer items produced, which often makes the item more desirable to collectors.
Annual edition: are produced for one year.
Open edition: are not limited and could still be in production
