To my eye these were just way too good not to grab and pass along, whether to decorate a birthday cake or just to take their place in a menagerie. They were made to hold tiny candles and would indeed look pretty great with flames rising from their backs, but they're also pretty excellent just as they are. I might guess these are Japanese.

Lion measures 2 1/2" l. Giraffe is 2 3/8" t. Tiger is missing front of one back paw but stands just fine, otherwise just some wear to the paint, to the good in my opinion.