First: yes, this blog still exists, but I've been too busy to write for it. All of my writing efforts since 2015 have been directed to the Hagen-Renaker Collectors Club. Since this news about a different California pottery brand is off-topic for that forum, I took a few minutes to throw this post together.
The giant Marcia of California factory runs of Maureen Love's largest sculptures still turn up from time to time, but this is my firsthand experience with really important news for restorers, collectors, and sellers.
This began February 3rd, 2025, when fellow Maureen Love researcher and blogger Dawn Sinkovich messaged me about a 26" tall H-1-1 for sale. It's been over a decade since I started searching for one, and this was my chance. It wasn't until March 23rd that I could act on it, as the distance for pick-up was considerable. I know shipping these guys is always disastrous, so it had to be a pick-up.
No sooner was the big guy in hand, but I got out the tried-and-true rubbing alcohol to remove the decades of dirt. My partner immediately jumped in to help clean this extra-large project. As we worked at different ends, working towards the middle to meet, he noticed the fired-on gold was coming off on the paper towels!
This discovery led to some speedy googling, and we learned that under-fired gold luster glaze is unstable. It will easily wipe off, even on bare fingertips.
Avoid firing lustre too low or too quickly as it may not have enough time to mature properly and could rub off.*
And another source:
The goal in firing is to reach a temperature that is high enough for the overglaze to adhere to the ware. If underfired, the overglaze will wipe off. If overfired, it will sink into the glaze and lose its brilliance or burn off completely.**
This explains why so many of the Marcia of California horses have rubbed-off gold ear tips and mane edges. Picture the large gas kilns used for mass production of such large ware. Some edges of shelves are closer to the gas jets than others, resulting in uneven temperatures from edge to center. The kiln master may have routinely under-fired the gold to avoid the hottest parts of their kiln from ruining that expensive luster on part of the load. If all the items in a load looked good enough to retail, without causing the lusters to bloom, burn off, or be so underfed they stayed purple, it was a solution. Longevity was never the point with cheap California decorative ware. Novelty and shelf appeal to create sales was the aim.
My message to collectors and restorers:
Do not try to clean these figurines on the gold areas! Test a gold area with water and a soft sponge. Use compressed air to clean the horses with gold accents.
Once it was in hand and on effective display in the Ceramic Animal Museum, I realized it needed to display with its mate, the 25" Leg-Out H-114. I put a call out on a model horse group, and a dear friend messaged me: "I got you". Within minutes, we had organized a cross-country hand-carry with the help of another close friend, to transport the mate to me. Now, I just have to find a matching mirror column to place opposite this one!
EDIT:
A word about values... Collector interest in the Marcia horse ware has grown since my previous mystery horses post in 2014. The 13" tall H-1 version 1 are now valued over US$65, any color. This took me by surprise, as I paid $30 for a rarer 1962 18" tall H-15 Leg-out in 2023. The H-1 in any version seems to be the most popular mold, with a small base footprint and overall silhouette, making it the easiest mystery horse to display.
The Natural color (no gold) A-9 Running Horse still fetches about $25. The other A-9 colors bring varying prices, with the two solid Pearl colors being most desirable.
The Leg-out 239 in all sizes is most difficult to ship and therefore the toughest to sell and deliver in one piece. This inconvenience has a bearing on their prices. I think these will ultimately become the rarest, as eBayers often ship them inadequately to their detriment, and shipping carriers will retain and destroy them in the process of settling insurance claims.
The Bent-Leg 239 versions fare much better and survive shipping, which can improve their market value.
All molds and versions of the 24-27" Giants suffer the same shipping complication as the Leg-outs. Their value is holding at $125, often selling for less in direct site sales.
Link to my list of molds (and colors): https://muddyhoofprints.blogspot.com/2013/01/lanes-merge-ahead.html
References:
*
**
https://aardvarkclay.com/pdf/