by Cindy MichalakHappy New Year everyone! I am hoping and praying that 2005 is kinder to the human race than last year was. I have my fingers crossed for good luck that none of the Borzoi Connection readers were directly affected by the Tsunami in December 2004. For a quick distraction and keeping with a promise to the men from the “Ladies Only” Summer 2004 issue, I offer the following column on porcelain Borzoi that came in a few different sizes. All I can say to the men is that they come in all different shapes and sizes but it doesn’t matter how big it is; it is how you display it that counts! (Large Borzoi statues, of course...)
This first set of figurines shows the Borzoi in three different sizes. You may not have known that this statue came in three sizes because the most common one found is usually the largest one. The jury is still out on where this piece was produced. Some that have sold this on eBay claim it to be German, even though there are no marks on any of the sizes. Germany was quite careful in making sure their porcelains were marked, so I am skeptical of it being German. I believe it to either be Japanese or, more realistically, American. It isn’t a beautiful Borzoi but not as ugly as some we have all come across! The three sizes are: 8", 9¼" and 11"x5¼". Though not really common pieces, prices will vary by size and I would say that the largest one is valued at $65 although, when you have a complete set of anything, the value goes up.
The next two pictures show pieces from an Austrian company known as Keramos. In trying to research a little more on this company, I found a few things saying that Keramos is a city in Austria, or the word ceramic came from a Greek work called Keramos and this last one, Keramos is a professional Ceramic Engineering fraternity that was founded in 1902 to promote camaraderie between Ceramic Engineers and to promote the field. In any event, this first picture shows two sizes of the same statue, which are: 6" and 7½"x8". The material used in these ceramic pieces didn’t have enough glass in the compound and you will usually find the Keramos figurines with breaks on the legs. You have to be very careful with these or you will be left with a leg in your hand. Out of all the Keramos figurines I have, only one is free from breaks. The others I have came broken and repaired, so it was already out of my hands so to speak. Of course figurines aren’t worth near as much in a repaired state but in good condition, these would fetch anywhere from $40-$75.
These two Keramos figurines are quite large and difficult to display but where there’s a will there’s a way. If there is one thing all of the Keramos figurines have, it is the perfect way they sculpted the Borzoi. The coat, topline and ears are just wonderful and they look just like a shrunken real Borzoi. The two sizes are: 9¾" and 14½"x18". The largest one was also produced as a chalk piece with a plastic coating and decorated with exactly the same coloring. That particular piece is so fragile, with chipping paint, that I decided not to pull it out of the cabinet to include in the picture. These very rare porcelain/ceramic statues would be valued around $100-$300 in good condition.
Here are two porcelains in extremely different sizes. The marking on the larger one is simply a circular mark of Kunstporzellan and a foil label indicating Ilmenau or Thuringen, Germany. The smaller piece only has an engraved mold number. The porcelain is exquisite and typical of the companies found around this area of Germany. The only thing that differs on these two pieces is the coloring. Otherwise they are identical right down to the toenails. You may be thinking that the pose resembles the more popular Metzler & Ortloff Borzoi (which also came in several different sizes) but they are not. The two sizes here are: 2¾" and 9"x5". The small one is valued around $25 while the larger one would probably cost you $100-$250 in good condition.
When you hear the name Wedgwood you think of fine china dinnerware. However, Wedgwood of England also produced some lovely figurines as well. Here are two Borzoi in different sizes. The ceramic or pottery material is thicker than the type used for the Keramos figures, making them sturdier and less likely to become damaged. Though the head and eyes leave a lot to the imagination of a true Borzoi fancier, the pose and correct ears let you forgive the rest. The coloring is off a little as well, making it look like the Borzoi has pink in the brindle. Either size of this piece is rather uncommon and hard to find. Sizes are: 7" and 11"x6". Due to the rarity of these pieces, values can range from $100-$250.
In the ceramic world, Italy is mainly noted for Capodimonte but believe it or not, they weren’t the only company. One other that is unknown yet well-known leaves only a magic-marker type mark of “Italy.” If you own any Italian pieces, you know what I’m talking about. While I do like the overall shape of these Borzoi and the fact that all the teeth are shown and the ears are correct, the head is just too short for the size of the body. Do you see what I mean? It also looks like the Borzoi may be a bit undershot as well. Both of these statues are very rare and measure 6½" and 10¾"x15". Rareness plays into perspective with the value of these, placing them at around $100-$400 for the larger one.
At one time, the Augarten Wien (Austria) figurines had become rare and on the “I need to have” list for many collectors because they were difficult to find. However, apparently the Augarten Company decided to produce several more of these figurines from the old molds, knocking down molds, knocking down the values somewhat. From time to time, you will find a few of the same sellers on eBay offering these lovely porcelains. They came in either decorated or undecorated; decorated as in they had the nose and eyes colored in. As you can see, only my larger piece is decorated. All of my figurines are from years of collecting and are not the newer ones. Augarten is also known to many as Royal Vienna but I have not figured out why. From my research, I found that the word Royal was added to any figurines from any given company that were produced specifically for Royalty. I doubt that any of these Borzoi were made for such a court, so I am reluctant to name them as such. In any event, the painstaking detail put into the fur, toes, ears, etc. makes you want to own one of these. This piece is one of the most beautiful of all Borzoi pieces ever made. The three sizes (not sure if all sizes were reproduced) are: 4½", 8½" and 12"x6". Values still can range from $100 for the small one, $250 for the medium size and up to $750 for the larger one. Of course, the decorated figures are more valuable than the plain. And so ends another tale of Unique Zoitiques. Knock on wood, I am planning to do a column on wooden Borzoi for the next issue. Perhaps you have a Unique Wooden Zoitique you would like to share with us. If so, just drop me a line at borzoi.mc.net. May you and your animals have good health and prosper in the coming new year. § |
