by Cindy Michalak 

Hello and welcome to the fall issue of Unique Zoitiques. It is unbelievable that Thanksgiving and Christmas are already nipping at our heels as I write this column. For this column, I would like to share the “ups and downs” of owning or collecting Borzoi.

Well, what I mean is double Borzoi statues with one standing up and one lying down. Here, see what I’m talking about:

To begin our quest of up and down Borzoi, this is a rather common German Borzoi figure.  Many times you will see these as single piece yet it is not uncommon to see this particular pair grouped (or glued) together as one figurine. Often you will find the Erphila (Ebeling & Reuss) stamped on the bottom, however, this one shows an Eagle and the word Kron. You will also see them on eBay listed as Fasold & Stauch, which is also Bock-Wallendorf as told in the Summer issue of Unique Zoitiques Looking up marks sometimes can confuse you with so many variations, so I’ll just leave it at that. This measures 4" x 5¾", although you ca find the single reclining Borzoi in several different sizes. Value on this is around $35.

If you like a lot of detail in a Borzoi figurine, then this is just what the doctor ordered! Made by Kaiser Porcelain of Germany, this porcelite figure offers nicely sculpted hair placed on a stone type base. This material is more like that of the resin figurines today but you won’t be finding this lovely statue anytime soon because it was discontinued years ago and one that you won’t find looking around the Internet. Measuring 4½" x 6", this hard-to-find piece is valued at $150.

Gerold Porzellan of Bavaria Germany made this nice hard-paste porcelain of 2 Borzoi that are perhaps sniffing each other’s breath to see what each had as a treat. The Borzoi pair here have become a little less difficult to find on the Internet now, which, sadly, has dropped the value somewhat. It is still a valued asset to any Borzoi fancier’s collection and it is a nice sized piece measuring 6½" x 9" that displays well. A little less of a blocky head would make it nicer, of course. If this wasn’t in my collection, I would gladly pay $75 or more for it.

Here is statue that “talks” to you and is a newer piece, made by Grafenthal of Germany, showing two darling Borzoi playing with each other. The one standing is probably tormenting (in fun) the Borzoi reclining on its side. One is sleeping and the other wakes it up to play, digging at the carpet [or ground] beneath the other. I know you’ve had to see your own kids playing like this. I purchased this several years ago, although it can be found on the Internet quite frequently. It is a hard paste porcelain, as all of the above statues are, and measures 7" x 10' on a nice base. When you can find this, the price ranges from $75 to $250.

A familiar name to most collectors is that of Wallendorf of Thuringia Germany. Their love of Borzoi is obvious because you can find so many made by the over the years. A pretty pose of Borzoi facing opposite directions, in the same sense as the Grafenthal above, except these two look bored. I think they just ran a lure course and are panting to cool down...This lovely pair are less common than many other Wallendorf Borzoi figures. They measure 7"x 8" and are valued at $150.

This may look familiar to you, as in the Winter 2005 issue (Borzoi in different sizes) I included Keramos of Austria Borzoi statues. Attached to the more common standing dog is the very hard to find reclining hound. I had to settle for the double piece, because they are not made as separate pieces. However, this figure was imported by the well-known Ebeling and Reuss or E&R, (also known as Erphila from Philadelphia), as mentioned in item 1 above. The overall figurine measures 7" x 11" and is valued around $300.

Although not the prettiest in this quarter’s grouping, it is the largest and perhaps, hardest to find. Made of chalk, or plaster, these two Borzoi have lots of character from gaudy painted teeth to funky looking large toenails but it is one of my favorites. I like big, and this fits the bill. Although not overly large, it measures 10" x 12½" and it looks as though they are ready to take off on a venture somewhere. This statue was made in Portugal. It is my first encounter with a statue from that area and I simply adore this addition to my collection, although I have had it for at least 5 years now. Since it is the only one I have seen, yet it being chalk and not to everyone’s liking, I will value this at $85, although I would probably pay more due to its rarity.

We have ended our quest on the ups and downs Borzoi without getting seasick. Of course we know the only down side to owning Borzoi is having to say farewell. We had to say goodbye a short time ago to our dear Katie whom we were lucky to have found at a shelter to bring home and love for many years and I know there are many more of you out there that had to endure the same pain of losing a beloved Borzoi this past year. Take time to remember and cherish those memories and your loved one will be with you forever. Happy holidays to everyone and may all of your hopes and dreams come true. §