There are few experiences more exciting and ripe for sharing with fellow collectors than finding a previously-unknown Maureen Love horse design. She is best known for her equine art; she is arguably among the most influential in the model horse hobby and fine equine art worlds, where her work influenced other artists. While researchers like Dawn Sinkovich and myself have been thrilled to bring you news of Maureen's freshly rediscovered birds and other animals, a novel vintage horse sculpture is a rare and important event.
Serious Hagen-Renaker fans know of the very rare and very large "Modern Horse", available only for six months, in the order form season of Fall 1962. Have you ever wondered why there was only a "Modern Horse", but no mention of Ancient, Historic, or even Classical Horse?
Get ready to meet the conceptual "brother from another mudder", the Ancient counterpart to Modern Horse.
Little known facts: Maureen retained her ball mold (waste mold) of her original version. A handful were made under the Share The Love license with Sue Nikas' HR blessing, by their subcontractor Kristina before she became the HR trademark holder. This bisque is one mold generation down from the waste mold personal version of Modern Horse. The ball mold is how the wax was cast for Modern Horse, and possibly also the wax to be modified into this Tang horse.
This Tang horse design was released by a pottery Maureen Love designed birds for, DeForest of California. She sculpted for DeForest (and other nearby potteries) during the 1960-1962 HR hiatus, and possibly until DeForest's closure in 1970. Maureen's birds were decor focal points and companion centerpieces for the matching-glazed functional ware in DeForest's exquisite Art Glaze product line.
1. Timeframe. The design has several artifacts that are analogous with the two designs she submitted to HR in that same timeframe: "Modern Horse" and the smaller (Nursery Line) Horse aka "Retro". The never-made first set of 1958 mini-mini horses resemble DeForest's Tang horse.
In order to understand how the designs transmit, one has to think in terms of the highly-changeable PlastiCarve wax original. Legs can be swapped, glamour sides reversed, shift center of gravity, add or remove tack and manes/tails, and/or lift or tuck a head. For example, the HR Maureen Love "Exi" started head-up and was revised in wax to be head tucked. The amount of PlastiCarve this Tang horse required may have been too tempting to melt down & recycle into new sculptures... so we have never seen the wax of him.
In order to absorb how uniquely-Maureen-Love this take on ancient Tang horse pottery is, we can do a quick review of what a typical Tang piece looks like.
Big feet, coarse head, no edge detail on mane, tube-like docked tail, overall blocky aesthetic.
2. The overall topline and main body segments are notably similar between HR's Modern Horse and the DeForest Tang-inspired horse. They are both roughly 13" tall, more support for the idea that these were at least conceived as a pair or birthed from the same waste mold and then modified. The Love ball mold Modern Horse was slightly modified in wax for the HR version.
3. The ox-head of the DeForest horse is analogous to the flat, filled-in angular profile of the HR Modern Horse. The Modern's wedge head shape in profile is reflected in the DeForest.
4. The far-open-mouth is recognizable in Maureen's sketches of racehorses and a particular stylized pastel, that shares multiple anatomy points with the DeForest Tang.
5. Naturally defined tendons with proportionate and accurate hooves. Very Love-style muscles in forearm.
6. The curves, angles, and stylization. Tell me you were designed by the same hand without telling me you were:
Let's not forget the 1958 mini-mini never-made stallion with his recognizable shapes.
7. The under-mane detailed edge and the detailed mane crest, as seen in many Love designs, but not often in Tang horses.
8. The similar "squat" is unmistakeable. The DeForest just cants to one side. The pelvis is defined. The head and neck similarity is also noticeable from this angle.
9. The Love face. Those ear bulbs, the face anatomy.
The DeForest Art Glaze line utilized crystal glazes to create unique art looks, even in mass-production. Perhaps a Tang horse had to join the line, as the sancai glazing speaks exactly to this look. The DeForest Art Glaze line delved into Asian culture themes with at least three Buddha designs and a Fu dog (although, theirs more resembles an Okinawan shisa). While not the largest Love-designed DeForest item known (that honor belongs to the Pheasant), her ancient Tang horse is a sizable beast at 15" long x 12.5" tall without base. The base itself measures .75 x 5 x 9" and bears the DeForest Art Glaze line sticker underneath.
Dawn Sinkovich and I independently stumbled on the eBay listing of this horse, and discussed it. We each kept revisiting its photos and wondering, for over a month. I finally saw something that convinced me it needed to be examined in-person. Dawn contacted the seller and brought the piece into our hobby; we went over it, point by point, in person together. Dawn helped select the Love thumbnail sketches that echo this sculpture's points. I am grateful for her assistance in all levels of this discovery.
When you expect (and even want) to be wrong for the sake of learning, but the evidence is too strong that It Is The Thing...
Happy hunting in DeForest!
PS: The DeForest Fighting Bull is not a Maureen Love design. Maureen designed a Fighting Bull mold produced by Marcia of California, the same company that produced her "Mystery Horses".
References:
Francis, Kristina Lucas. Muddy Hoofprints blog. "A Mystery Solved Backwards".
https://muddyhoofprints.blogspot.com/search/label/DeForest%20of%20California
Sinkovich, Dawn. Share The Love blog. "More Maureen Mysteries Come To Light in DeForest".
https://sharethemaureenlove.blogspot.com/2015/06/more-maureen-mysteries-come-to-light-in.html
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