by Cindy Michalak 

Good day to all the Borzoi lovers around the world! I’m excited to show you a few Borzoi items that are not all that common, from a new set of small porcelains to a fantastic litho candy tin. I have over 1,500 Borzoi items in my collection and hope to keep you entertained for years to come. Now let’s take off for a journey through some Unique Zoitiques!

 
1. This is a new bone china porcelain I purchased from a friend in Germany who
retails dog figurines. The Borzoi is decorated white with apricot. He measures 23⁄4" tall x 4" long. He is very nicely detailed with a long luxurious neck ruff and beautiful tail. There is a strange looking blue WM mark on the bottom I am not familiar with. While the purchase price was $20, you have to keep in mind that shipping from Germany will bring the final cost of your item up quite a bit.
2. Here is another new Borzoi item, although there are 3 in this matched set. They are all self-blacks with tan markings. The mama Borzoi measures 2" tall and stands guard over her 2 puppies. The reclining puppy looking up at mom measures 21⁄4" long, and the little guy sitting there watching on is 1" tall. They are made of a porcelain type material that almost feels plastic. This cute set was also purchased from my German friend at the same time as the one above. Again, the price was great at $13 for all 3, but then you have to add in the shipping factor.

3. This is one of my older figurines found on my way to the Houston BCOA Specialty. I had actually passed it up the first time, and ended up taking a vacation driving to Little Rock, Arkansas to try and find it. I used to be kind of a hippie myself, and this figurine of a hippie chick and hippie Borzoi had to
be in my collection. It was made in Italy and is a plastic type material. Look at the elephant bell-bottom pants and furry vest she has on. She measures 11" tall and the Borzoi is 5" x 51⁄2". Not to be morbid but, my family knows that if/when I pass on from this great world to the next, this is the only statue not to be sold and must be buried with me. I value this rare piece at $75.
4. The next piece is an old German piece of a Borzoi playing big brother to a Fox Terrier. The mark is simply a red stamped Germany on the underside of the base. With this little dog in the scene, it shows just how sweet our gentle giants can be with small dogs. The ears on the Borzoi are down at the sides, which is a common mistake amongst some of the sculptors. However, there are times when my Borzoi put their ears down to show empathy towards one another. It measures 8" tall and is made of hard paste 8" tall and is made of hard paste porcelain. I would place a value on this rare piece at $150.

5. A very lovely Czechoslovakian figurine of a lady out on a stroll with her lovely white Borzoi. Although it looks great in the picture, the figurine was actually broken in half and glued back together. It is house don an ornate scrolled brass base, and measures12" tall. The lady has on a pretty dark blue dress with matching hat and shoes, and a nice black coat with red trim. The lead is made of leather and attached to the Borzoi. Although I only paid $5 for this broken piece, it is an old and rare piece to be valued around $200 in good condition.
6. An exquisite pair of Austrian lamps, done in the stylish tradition of Meissen. This Colonial couple sure has their difference in dogs! The man is wisely holding on to his pretty white Borzoi while the lady, complete with high-topped hair and banana curls is trying to keep her dog in check. I’m having a hard time distinguishing what breed the smaller dog is, and the best Ican guess is a tall Bichon Frisé. The man is wearing a subtle gray coat over his red and yellow striped pants with matching polka dot vest. The woman is wearing a matching yellow dress with red flowered pattern. Aside from the Borzoi, the prettiest part of these lamps is that the poles of the lamps were also covered with porcelain. The entire lamp is decorated with pastel pink, yellow, blue and purple flowers. They measure 91⁄2" tall, not including the fixture. The word Austria is engraved directly into the porcelain under the base, along with model numbers. Although I really didn’t want the lady and dog (since it’s not aBorzoi), the value would drop drastically by separating the pair as originally sold. So if you have a set of something similar to this, don’t separate matched sets. You can always store the non-Borzoi item in the attic and have both, in case you ever decide to disperse your collection. Value on this rare matching set of lamps is around $300in good condition.

7. You have all seen the Bunte tins with Diana walking her Borzoi, but this tin is remarkable. In obvious ’50s fashion, this lady is standing in a meadow ready to release the hounds. From the colorful clouded blue sky,to the faces on the Borzoi, this lithographed tin is very pretty. It measures 8" x 6" and is marked “World Premier Toffee - Thorne’s -Leeds, England.” This particular tin is very hard to find and it was a real treat to add to my collection of tins with Borzoi featured on them. I would pay up to $75 for this piece because of the rarity and beauty. Most all of you know to keep your Borzoi cool in the summer months, but take heed and follow suit with yourselves too! Your dogs depend on you to be there. Have a terrific summer and may all of your entries turn up winners! §