Unknown Japan Horse

I found this piece at Klassy Klutter in the side room with the collection of china and Japan horses. At first I thought it was a Mortens Studio - it certainly has that look, and the eyes are a lot like the "frog eyes" Mortens have.

There is crazing on the legs, so I know it is an older piece. I'll put it out on Blab and some of the other china collectors' sites and see if anyone can identify it.

 Unknown china black horse, $6, Klassy Klutter, Lafayette, Indiana, 2/2015/

 The frog eyes that remind me of a Mortens Studio piece.

The blue green and gold sticker reads, "Blue Grass Champion."

A Hagen Renaker and Three Imitations

After Sell It Here, I headed to Devine's Antiques (nothing), Leaping Leopard (nothing), and Klassy Klutter. BINGO!!

In the side room, there was a table with a lot of china and Japan horses. This group, sold as a set, caught my eye. I knew the reclining horse was a real Hagen Renaker. I suspected the other three pieces were Japan copies, and I was right.

 Set of four china horses, $9, Klassy Klutter, Lafayette, Indiana, 2/2015.

 HR Reclining Horse, A-209, 1951 - 1952, $9/set of four, Klassy Klutter, Lafayette, Indiana, 2/2015.

 The crazing in his glaze is typical of older Hagen Renakers. (I LOVE the old HRs!)

The picture isn't the best, but you can see "HR" incised into the underside.) I actually already have this piece, and will probably sell this one.

(Left) Japan imitation of HR Frisky Colt A-147 made 1952 - 1953,  $9 set of 4, Klassy Klutter, Lafayette, Indiana, 2/2015.

(Middle) Japan imitation of HR Saddle Horse A-146 made 1952 - 1953, $9 set of 4, Klassy Klutter, Lafayette, Indiana, 2/2015.

(Right) Japan imitation of HR Standing Colt #A-148 made 1952 - 1953, $9 set of 4, Klassy Klutter, Lafayette, Indiana, 2/2015.

Japan Thoroughbred/Riding Pony

I saw this piece last week at Sell It Here in Lafayette. Although it has a break on its hind leg, for $3 I felt it should be rescued. And, it bears a close resemblance to my very first piece, Brownie.

 Japan Thoroughbred, $3, Sell It Here, Lafayette, Indiana, 6/2014.

 You can see the break on the hind leg in this photo.

I found some similar Japans on Karen Grimm's Black Horse Ranch Model Museum. Unfortunately, she died of breast cancer a couple of years ago, so I cannot email her and get her opinion on my new piece.

 She calls this "Clover Riding Pony."

And then she had my beloved Brownie in her collection, too.

She calls it "Clover Riding Pony - Small."

Since my new horse has a numbered blanket on, I will keep calling it a Thoroughbred. No clover mark, but he does have the number 24 carved in his inner upper right thigh. Since it's been painted, I am certain it was put there when he was created.

Black Pintos!

Recently on the Clinky Connection Facebook page there was a discussion about a china foal I have had since childhood and named Diamond Dindy. 

(This is not my piece; this is the one being discussed on Clinky Connection.)

Folks began posting about theirs or their desire to have one and how they'd been looking for one. Seeing all those black pinto Japan chinas made me feel nostalgic (I am already VERY fond of the old Japan chinas!) and so I found a couple on MH$P, made offers, and added three to my herd.

Victoria Ceramics Glossy Black Pinto Trotting Pony, $12, 5/2014, Lynn Lindgren (has sticker on belly.)

Back side of previous piece.

Japan Black Pinto Head Up Trotting Horse, $23, 5/2014, Lynn Lindgren (partial sticker and red dot on belly)

Other side of previous piece.

Japan Black Pinto Walking Horse, $23, 5/2014, Janet Onderchanin, Detroit area, Michigan. (Possibly Lefton; N856 on left front hoof.)

Other side of previous piece.

Information on Zebras and Japan Labels

From Amy Peckham (who bought my three china zebras.)

The blue/yellow oval label is one that Arnart used along with several others.Arnart used a rectangular shape blue/yellow paper label a lot also, same as Shaffords red/gold "Japan" foil rectangular and oval stickers.

I did a bit of quick research on that unmarked zebra. Robert Simmons did two zebra models called "snip and snap", your unmarked one is a copy of one of them, you can see those models by Simmons at the hrgallery.8m.com website in the Robert Simmons section.

He copied the models from a German company.I can tell right away it's not Japan. I have over 600 Japan horses from 98 different stickered companies, the crazing isn't typical of Japan models and I can see the larger pour hole in belly,again not typical of japans.I really like the zebra though, he has a sort of art deco styling from 1940's or 50's. Arnart also operated under the name royal chintz,that's when they used the oval sticker. I have spent probably a thousand hours studying Japan companies.

I'm working on trying to get better at identifying American pottery companies,The zebra has the shape of Simmons zebra but has a lot of qualities of freeman-McFarlane pieces such as the eyes and feet(coloring and shape).

The Model That Started It All

This is Brownie, the model that started my collection. Santa brought him to me as a Christmas gift in 1963. I was just six years old.

Brownie is an ordinary Japan china - not valuable in the least if you think dollars, but incredibly special to me. He was played with constantly, and I even have memories of being very, very ill and in bed with Brownie by my side to keep me company.

You can see how well-loved he is - his ears are broken, there's a chip on his nose, and his legs have all been broken at least once. But as I said,  Brownie is VERY special to me, and so he gets to reside in my china hutch where my very best chinas and porcelains are displayed.

Thank you, Santa!