In the Middle Ages artists such as the 12th century Gislebertus sometimes signed their work, and were sought after by different cities, especially from the Trecento onwards in Italy, with figures such as Arnolfo di Cambio, and Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni.
Mnoge kulture so proizvajale lončenino, ki je združevala funkcijo posode s kiparsko obliko, pogoste in zelo priljubljene so bile majhne figurice predvsem v sodobni zahodni kulturi.