A nice display piece, this is copper coloured or possibly bronze but I am listing it as a "bronzed" Hummel water carrier as I am not 100 percent certain. There is a "Mors" inscription on his buttocks which was a message to his mockers whilst he was carrying out his duties. (Please read the story below if you wish).

These pieces do vary quite a lot in size & quality, this is a particularly good one, 5 inches tall and in very good condition.

Here is a humourous & interesting read about the history behind Hummels buttock message

Back in the day, many people in the German city of Hamburg did not have access to clean drinking water. While a river runs through the city, it is known for its many waterways but a lot of that water was polluted from breweries and the canals simply acted as a sewage system. So, if you wanted clean water, you could pay for a water carrier or a water boy. He would deliver the water all the way from der Brunnen into your home (how practical)!

One infamous water carrier of Hamburg was Hans Hummel. His actual name was Johann Wilhelm Bentz, and he lived from 1787 to 1854.  According to legend, he was always cursing due to the heavy burden of the water he had to carry. Because these water carriers could not put their buckets down easily, they were an easy victim of teasing children. Hans Hummel was loved by the kids, as he would always react strongly to their teasing. One day, they shouted Hummel, Hummel! to annoy him. While he would normally just walk along and shout things at them, this time was different. He put down his buckets and ran after those brats, but they were quicker than him, and fled in all directions. But one child stopped in his tracks to pull down his pants to Hummel and show him his bare buttocks! This did not annoy Hummel further, but actually made him laugh. Mors, mors! he said. Mors is a word from Hamburg that means “buttocks”. This reaction shocked the children, and it changed their relationship to the root. From now on, every time they would meet, the kids would shout Hummel, Hummel! and Hummel would answer Mors, mors! And so, a new greeting was born that is still being used to this day.

There is an alternative version of this story, too. Here, he simply shouts at the kids in anger, as he cannot put his buckets down, mors, mors!, meaning as much as “kiss my ass!”

If you happen to hear "Hummel Hummel! – Mors, Mors!", today it’s simply a friendly greeting between two Hamburgers.

Hans Hummel remains an icon of Hamburg and leaves us with this charming story to cherish.

Most of my items are vintage, antique or pre owned, there may be minor age related blemishes or marks present but I will always try to photograph or explain what I can see. If you require pristine items then my items are probably not for you.

Please study the pictures, if you have any questions or doubts then please ask before you bid

UK POSTAGE ONLY PLEASE

Thanks for looking