It is fall already and the trees are turning their beautiful colors. I guess Borzoi are a lot like trees, because no matter what color they are, they are all beautiful. And that is probably why the Borzoi became one of the most used models for artists to paint or sculpt. Following are a few of my choices that will show just how beautiful or cute Borzoi can be, in case you didn’t already know!

I’m sure the seasoned Borzoi collector has seen these first two porcelains but I have to keep in mind all the new Borzoi collectors as well. The finest porcelain company in Denmark, that being Bing & Grondahl (also known as B&G), made this 81⁄2" tall sitting Borzoi. B&G is part of the company that produces Royal Copenhagen figurines. The porcelain on their figures is so exquisite that they have an almost milky look to them. The only thing I do not care for on B&G dogs is the way they decorate the eyes and nose. With the quality and care they take in producing these lovely Borzoi, wouldn’t you think they would take the extra time to make black noses and eyes that look real? Once I thought I would never be able to own such precious porcelains but with the advent of eBay, it became available to me at a bargain price. I did not pay near the “going price” of $750 each, because sometimes the luck and timing of your search pays off, which it did for me in this and the next instance.

Here is the reclining B&G mate to the first Borzoi and measures 111⁄2" long x 5" tall. Again, the typical grayish nose and eyes but the head, ears and body are so perfect that you tend to dismiss the coloring.

This is a newer piece made of resin mounted on a wood base with a glass dome glued over it. That way you can see how pretty it is but not end up breaking it. It was sculpted by Freestyle Studio located in Cleveland, Wisconsin. This vendor was at the Wisconsin Cluster shows September 2003. The mother measures 3" tall and sits quietly while her puppy snuggles next to her. When I first saw this on auction, it looked cute but I wasn’t prepared for just how pretty it was until it arrived. It is hard to imagine how all of that detail could be put into a small double figurine the way they did. I immediately wrote to the person and told her that it had just become my favorite small Borzoi item in my collection.

Quite a different piece with a dad and his puppies. I thought this was just adorable when I bought it. It is made of a hard-paste porcelain and imprinted Germany. On the underside of this statue, you can see that the figurines were originally made separate and then molded together. At least that is the way it looks to me. Nothing glued; I didn’t mean that. It just looks like they were separate molds and then fi red in the kiln as one piece. This one measures 6" x 5" and then there is a mate to this.

Now you can see why I called the first Borzoi family dad and puppies, because this is almost the same but mom is slightly smaller and all of them face the opposite direction. Put together, they almost look like they could be bookends but are not quite heavy enough to actually hold books up. Mom measures 5" tall x 41⁄2" wide, so she isn’t that much smaller than her mate. Although this one does not have the Germany imprint, I highly doubt it was made anywhere else. By having both pieces, it brings the value up, of which I would say together they are probably worth $75.

As adorable as can be, here is a mom that looks to have recently given birth to 2 darling pups. Her puppies are on a serious hunt for food, as mom curls up in a ball trying to catch up on her sleep. How could anyone resist this hard-paste porcelain! It was made in Japan and resembles the coloring of a few other Japanese pieces I have, yet I have never seen one like this with puppies. It measures 5" x 2" with each puppy 1" long. Uncommon and darling, I value this at $50.

Here is a lovely Borzoi head made in and marked Czechoslovakia. The detailing is wonderful but the ears could use a little bit of a nicer layback to them (as many artists fail to do). I purchased this from a fellow in the United Kingdom, where they seem to get some really nice dog items. The head measures 6" long x 31⁄2" tall, not including the porcelain circle surrounding it. It is not often you find a Unique Zoitique in porcelain other than the usual standing or reclining figurine. Even though I have no wall space left, I did manage to squeeze it in a nice spot next to one of my curio cabinets. Rarity and uniqueness play into the value of this piece, which I place at $125. Well, it’s time to wrap up another issue of Borzoi Connection’s Unique Zoitiques. I wish all of you the best of everything and hope you get that special treasure you have been wanting for the Holidays. My best wishes to everyone and your dogs too!§