Willow Tree is a line of hand-painted resin figurines by artist Susan Lordi, designed to express emotions and life events through gesture rather than facial features.
Willow Tree figurines are the kind of gift people keep on a mantel for decades. They are small, hand-painted sculptures of people, angels, and animals, each one meant to communicate a feeling — gratitude, hope, love, remembrance — without a single facial expression. The figures are designed to be meaningful keepsakes given to comfort, celebrate, or show appreciation, not toys or electronic devices.
The figurines are decorative collectibles made of hand-painted resin, cast from original clay sculptures that artist Susan Lordi carves by hand in Kansas City, Missouri. The line was launched around January 2000, though some sources place the debut in 1999, and it has since grown into a popular gift brand sold through retailers. For those ready to buy, the best silver willow tree options roundup covers the top picks for your garden.
What Makes Willow Tree Figurines Different
The signature design element is the complete absence of facial features. Lordi intentionally leaves faces blank so that each person viewing a figurine can attach their own emotion and story to it. The gesture of the figure — a hand on a heart, an embrace, a reaching arm — carries the entire meaning.
The Willow Tree line includes a wide range of subjects: people in everyday poses, angels for remembrance and protection, dogs and cats for pet lovers, and nativity pieces for Christmas. The brand operates as a figurative sculpture line in collaboration with DEMDACO, and the Signature Collection is one of its featured collections.
Each piece is cast from a hand-carved clay original and painted by hand, which means subtle variations in paint and finish exist between individual figurines. They are not mass-produced plastic items; they carry the look and feel of a crafted object.
When To Give A Willow Tree Figure
They are intended as gifts to comfort someone grieving, to celebrate a birth, to thank a friend, or to mark a milestone like a wedding or anniversary. The figures are designed to be displayed, not played with, and are best understood as decorative keepsakes.
- Comfort: Many people give Willow Tree angels or embracing figures to someone who has lost a loved one.
- Celebration: Figures of mothers, fathers, and children are common gifts for new parents and couples.
- Appreciation: Simple figures like a child with a flower or a person with arms open are given to teachers, mentors, and friends.
Because the figures have no facial features, they avoid the problem of a sculpted expression being “wrong” for the occasion. The same angel figure can be comforting or hopeful depending on what the recipient needs it to mean.
Willow Tree The Figurine vs. The Willow Tree Plant
A common confusion exists between the Willow Tree figurine brand and the willow tree itself. The willow tree is a real genus of trees and shrubs in the Salix family, known for its long, drooping branches and preference for wet ground. Per the Britannica entry on willows, the genus includes hundreds of species, from large weeping willows to small creeping shrubs.
The figurine brand takes its name, in spirit, from the graceful and expressive nature of the willow — but there is no physical connection between the sculptures and the plant. A gift of a Willow Tree figurine is not a gift of a tree, and the two should not be confused when shopping.
Where To Find Willow Tree Figures
Willow Tree figurines do not have publicly listed prices on official pages, so exact current pricing cannot be stated. Availability and prices vary by retailer, and the figures are sold through a wide network of gift shops, department stores, and online marketplaces.
Before buying, consider a few practical points:
- Price varies by piece: Smaller figures generally cost less than larger or more complex nativity scenes.
- Check multiple retailers: Prices differ noticeably between stores, and sales are common around major holidays.
- Collectible editions: Some pieces are retired over time, which can make finding specific figures more of a hunt.
For buyers drawn to the live tree rather than the figurine, the same emotional qualities — grace, flexibility, and quiet strength — make the real plant a meaningful gift. The best silver willow tree picks page compares top-rated options for planting in your yard.
FAQs
Are Willow Tree figurines worth the price?
Willow Tree figurines are hand-painted collectibles that hold their value as meaningful keepsakes rather than investments. Whether they are “worth it” depends entirely on the emotional value of the gift. For someone who cherishes sentimental objects, the hand-crafted quality and versatile design justify the cost.
Why do Willow Tree figurines have no faces?
Artist Susan Lordi deliberately leaves faces blank so the figures can communicate through gesture and posture alone. This design choice allows each person to project their own emotions and interpretations onto the piece, making the same figurine meaningful in different ways to different recipients.
Are Willow Tree figures toys or collectibles?
Willow Tree figures are decorative collectibles, not toys. They are made of resin, painted by hand, and designed for display. They are best treated as fragile keepsakes to be displayed, not handled.
References & Sources
- Britannica. “Willow | Definition, Species, & Facts.” Provides authoritative background on the Salix genus for distinguishing the plant from the figurine brand.