The Mane of Sun Cortez

This post does not reflect the opinions of Hagen-Renaker nor its employees. The following is my opinion and my interpretation of the submitted examples.

This disclaimer is necessary because the established stance is, HR's DW molds were never altered between Monrovia and San Dimas. 

The mold retooling that took place in the early 1980's for San Marcos is both acknowledged by collectors and by Jim Renaker, according to Nancy Kelly*.

Hagen-Renakers' Designer's Workshop mold, Sun Cortez, is a prime example of the observations I am (and other collectors are) making about mold differences between Monrovia and San Dimas factory eras. Of the molds that survived at least two factory eras, I have observed that quite a few went through an apparent resculpt and remolding. Some of us collectors summarize the entire multiple mold situation by citing "the mane of Sun Cortez" as the classic example of change.

Collectors are less likely to see the middle-era mold variant, because the San Dimas mold version is so rare. The main side-by-side comparison in this post is between Monrovia and San Marcos. Further on, the San Dimas will be shown. You read that correctly, I interpret three separate mold versions of Sun Cortez.

Left: San Dimas White matte photo and owned by author;

Right: Monrovia Palomino owned by Jayne Kubas

Why edit a mold's mane?

The mane flip of Monrovia Sun Cortez is prone to chipping. 

Maybe the resculpt reduced loss in shipping and retail?

If you are wondering why such an otherwise crisply detailed palomino 

has a smooth face, keep reading...

Huge difference in neck wrinkles and shoulder sculpture, too.

Different hindquarter muscle sculpts.

Different shoulder muscles.

Different chest muscles, throats.

The mane, however, is not the only difference. The entire x-y axes orientation of the heads are different, and it's in the mold. In fact, the above smoothed-out face isn't from a mismatched older mold piece (as evidenced by the neck and throat wrinkles) nor a sponge wipe. It was purposefully flooded of all undercuts because the head makes a 45 degree, when viewed from above.

Monrovia 45 degrees, San Marcos 90 degrees. 

The more open angle makes demolding easier and allows more face detail.

Monrovia head tilts slightly upwards.

Above, San Marcos has distinct points of buttock and differentiated tail.

Below, crispy Monrovia is boneless and has little detail in tail.

San Marcos analogous Achilles tendon goes all the way up to tail swish;

in the Monrovia mold, the tendon ends abruptly halfway up to tail.

Differences: cheekbone, lips, nostril, eye, curb, throat...

San Marcos has face veins.

Differences: cheekbones, nostrils, eye bulges, width between eyes, brow, width of muzzle...

So, the above comparison, showing retooling, is consistent with Jim's information.

San Marcos Cortez molds -King, Sun, and Don- in White (glossy and matte) are also interesting because unlike the Arabian family and DW Head-Up and -Down Ponies, their gray shading is like the old underglaze gray of the previous eras. Other than the Cortez trio, other San Marcos molds in white have a dark, cold tone to their gray shading, in both matte and gloss.

Note the dark, bluish gray shading on this San Marcos matte white Zara.

Compare to the matte and glossy white San Marcos Sun Cortez models below.

Zara photos by author.

San Marcos White matte left, glossy on right.

Photo courtesy Marcia Miner.

San Marcos White glossy, and now matte on right.

Photos courtesy Ed Alcorn.

San Marcos White matte. 

His hooves give away that he is not the bluish gray, despite photo contrast.

Photo courtesy Janis Whitcomb.

San Marcos White glossy, photos courtesy Nancy Falzone.

Look at that soft gray, even under the intensifier of gloss!

The San Dimas mold version, in the very rare bay color. The San Dimas also was released in palomino. As you can see, the San Dimas mold has an altered mane, like San Marcos. Unlike the later era, though, the face details are not as chiseled and hard. Neither are the facial features flooded like Monrovia. The San Dimas is, in my opinion, the in-between mold version. Speaking from my own experience as a moldmaker, it is challenging to mold and cast ceramic horses with such an extreme neck turn. I can understand why this horse was molded over and over, refining it for ease of production.

No mane flip, but retains Monrovia body muscle sculpts and short "Achilles".

The face is neither Monrovia nor San Marcos.

Photo courtesy Sue Thiessen.

Model owned by Nancy Falzone.

Top Row: Monrovia

Lower two: San Dimas

No mane flips on San Dimas.

Photo courtesy Ed Alcorn.

Here is what appears to be a Monrovia-San Dimas Transition model.

White on the altered San Dimas mold!

His eye decoration and sticker are similar to the transition model shown in this post.

Photos courtesy Marcia Miner.

Left: white "transition" with no mane flip

Right: Monrovia palomino

Unlike my usual portrait investigations, I came up dry on the real Sun Cortez. I have this photo to share, but of the two palominos standing behind King Cortez, I can't tell you which one he is. 

Far left: King Cortez, Ernest Specht up.

The other Cortez boys are ridden by Ernest's sisters.

The photo above, with Sun and Don in parade sets, indicated that the tack was made around 1960. My research has shown that some parts of King's set existed as far back as 1947, the date of the photo of him shown below.

King Cortez in 1947, with his early parade set. 

Source: The Visual Arts: Plastic and Graphic, by Justine M. Cordwell, Google Books.

Page 674. Photo originally from Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association archives.

King Cortez seems to be a bit older than Sun and Don, as he is in promotional photos in a simpler, earlier version of his famous Bohlin parade set that dates to 1947. The post-1960 group photo shows King with a grown-out mane.  In the references below, you can view a link to a King Cortez publicity photo dated to 1949. He was a famous parade horse, hence the multiple photos of him.

The three Cortez stallions premiered in Fall 1957 as HR Designer's Workshop models. The palomino matte of Monrovia and San Dimas is, obviously, the portrait color. 

More mold observation posts in the future!



Gratitude to Jayne Kubas for her help with the side-by-side photo shoot, and to everyone who sent photos: Ed Alcorn, Nancy Falzone, Marcia Miner, Cindy Neuhaus, Sue Thiessen, and Janis Whitcomb.


References:

* Kelly, Nancy. Pers. comm. 5/5/2012

Roller, Gayle. Hagen-Renaker: A Charlton Standard Catalogue. Third Edition. P. 80. The Charlton Press: Palm Harbor, FL, 2003.

1949 King Cortez old saddle set photo http://www.dancinghorses.com/king_cortez.htm

full color
http://circusnospin.blogspot.com/2008/06/specht-family-well-known-pasadena.html

Muddy Monday: Collector Gatherings

Alternate Title: How To Have Fun Without A Show Nucleus

I will intersperse personal experiences with the tips on how to organize it. Rather than a report that might inspire envy, the aim is to encourage you to arrange your own gathering, in your own neighborhood. The intent of collector gatherings is not to replace shows. If anything, it augments one's overall hobby experience. The pressure and crowding of a show is not for everyone. There are some friends I only get to see in this tour setting, because it is within their comfort level.

1. Select a geographic region that has several collectors willing to have visitors view their private collections. This is your gathering's range. Some areas of this country have four or five, all within an hour of each other.

To further qualify stops on the tour, it is most convenient if the selected collections are all out on display. Even if their collections aren't unpacked or displayed, the collectors themselves may want to participate on the tour as visitors, which is fine. It's not ideal to go box by box, although it has been done before without damage. Comfort levels are much better for everyone when the collections are behind glass and don't need to be touched.

I feel that gatherings are a fantastic way to learn, and to find new material to share with you, via this blog. I currently participate in one annual tour in the DC area. I already host a ceramics show every so often, but a multi-collection tour has a whole different vibe to it. It's an addition to the hobby experience that I love so much, I just want to make more of them happen.



2. Ideally, there is a percentage of overlap between collection foci within the tour, so that there is a chance to see variants of some editions, while also seeing the works of multiple manufacturers and artists.

For example, the DC tour has collectors with overlap in collecting Hagen-Renaker, bone chinas, European porcelains, artist resins, animal art, and custom glazes. Individuals also have unique flavors they bring to the tours, such as sci-fi and fantasy art, Native American art, canine artifacts and collectibles, bronzes, dolls, glass, and even Tiki mugs. 



3. To get everyone out together and seeing the sights, replace a show/competition with another event: a birthday celebration; an antiques show; a flea market weekend; a real horse farm tour or show.

A gathering or tour doesn't need an event to give it a reason, but it does help if everyone can get the time off from work for the same days. If weather does not permit attending an outdoor event, pick a home where everyone can meet.



4. Invite new people to participate. It's not a better gathering if it has record attendance, but it is nice to hear new opinions and see different things.

There will always be an ebb and flow of the participants each year, as their personal schedules allow. Generally speaking, those who are interested in getting together to learn and see collections tend to be over the age of 18, so we've had no concerns of liability for damage caused by a minor. We are all adults, and aware that we are personally responsible for our actions or accidents. If you start a tour, you may wish to generate a liability release and parent/guardian responsibility document if minors will be included. I only mention this because I was interested in ceramics as a minor, so there may be others out there. However, it is doubtful that grabby infants and toddlers, young children, or even adults who can't keep hands off of stuff, will be invited to such breakable events.



5. Each person is bringing their unique perspective, experiences, "sightings in the wild" of collectibles, and their items for show & tell. It's important to take turns and let everyone have the floor.



6. This sounds silly, but learn from my repeated error: carry throat lozenges. With like-minded people and no rushing to and from judging tables, you will talk a lot more than usual. You may lose your voice after a couple days of this.



7. Get an idea of everyone's food preferences and dietary restrictions in advance, so it's easier to choose restaurants or plan meals. Some gathering locales have more restaurant choices than others. Where I live is pretty limited without a minimum 30-minute drive!



8. Bring stuff. I 'd suggest bringing several types of things: gifts for everybody or personalized gifts for individuals; paper leave-behinds for future contact (business cards, etc.); show & tell from your personal collection that is best viewed in-person.

Even if you are flying to the destination, you can fit some vintage photos, or maybe photos burned on gift discs, buttons or medallions, business cards, etc. in your carry-on. Even though you are going to go see things, it's nice to bring things!

This reunion photo was possible only at a tour gathering.

These are three horses personally glazed by the sculptor, Maureen Love.

L-R: models courtesy Elizabeth Bouras, Jo Ellen Arnold, and Keith Bean.

9. Be ready to be happy and gain so much more from the gathering than you ever thought possible. You will learn new things. Mysteries will be solved by someone else's experiences that they never thought to mention before. You will see cool stuff, some of it stuff never seen by anyone but the owner. You will absolutely be surprised by something. You will wish you had a recording of it all, to play back at will.

Something unusual that you will get to see at a collection tour is a rare Hagen-Renaker family, or pair, together. As "collector's classes", a group entry of 8 or more models, have fallen out of fashion in favor of individual horse Collectibility qualifying, it is now unusual to see rare colors of families displayed together at shows. Tours are just full of them!

Models courtesy Janet Hicks.

10. Be super flexible. It takes flexibility from all parties to put together a weekend of three or more collections on a tour.



11. Mutual respect is expected, regarding photographs and any handling of collectibles. These are so important, especially in today's internet, and the sticky situations of liability for damage to handled items. If someone doesn't want to pose in a group photo, don't harry them. If they ask you to not photograph their collection or home, do not do it. It is the height of rudeness to post photos of someone's collection anywhere without their express permission. It is also grounds for exclusion from further tours. If someone gives you verbal permission to touch an item, it is OK. If none is given, the default setting is touch nothing. Don't fingerprint their glass, and don't try to open anything without asking for help.

At a show, there is tolerance for people asking if items are for sale, or what their value may be. In someone's private home, it is not cool to ask if something is for sale. Exceptions may be if the owner has told you "This group/cabinet is for sale", or you know that the owner is the source for the exact items via public sale (Special Run dealer or ceramist).

Some things are so rare and delicate that only the owner should touch them. If the owner is afraid to move the object, or move other items around it, don't press them. They know the delicacy of that particular piece best.

Model courtesy Elizabeth Bouras.

Shows are fun, but they are not the only reason to visit with friends and spend all day talking about the art and animals we love. Thank you, DC crew! The tour is the highlight of my year.

UPDATED Muddy Monday: Silver On Her Toes

As I had opportunity to study more Zaras this month, I started talking to other collectors and restorers about this mystery that has been bugging me. I am using lots of photos with varied lighting, to give you an idea of how these compare. If you can help solve this, please write me, or post in the blog Comments.

On the left are what we consider normal HR decoration on hooves. They are airbrushed, may have a run of underglaze, but are obviously not hand-brushed on.

On the right are "silvery" HR hooves.

How common is the silvery hooves trait, and which molds is it on?

I don't have enough samples to tell you how common it is, versus the normal hooves. "Silvery" hooves occur on 9" Zara, 6" Zara, and 9" Amir models, and possibly other gray Monrovia Arabian models. Unlike the normal hooves, the silvery-pale gray hoof color looks like it was swiped on with a paintbrush, on top of airbrushed underglaze. It doesn't appear to be on top of glaze, unless it has completely obliterated the glaze's texture with its own. 

UPDATE: Dawn Sinkovich sent this the next day, very interesting and backs up my observation of a lack of glaze:

I bought a large white Monrovia Large Amir, and... all four feet had been dipped in a clear lacquer up above their fetlocks!  The lacquer had really yellowed, and definitely looked like they dipped it rather than painted or sprayed - the levels were very even on all four legs.  I stripped it off with something or other, and I sold it a couple of years ago.  The hooves hadn't any clear glaze on, and I've attached a pic of him. 

Also, when I bought my original large group of Monrovia horses, the rose grey lying Fez had a thin coat of red stain or paint on it - it even was on the bottom if I remember right.  I washed it off, if I remember, pretty easily.  I wondered at the time if it had been done at the factory.  Trying to make him even rosier?

So, we may be looking at brush-painted pale gray enamel or lacquer, then dipped in lacquer to "shine" it up, so it would look similar to the rest of the model's fired glaze. 

The coronet bands show airbrushing overspray on both. The airbrush overspray is the same dark gray-black color of underglaze. There, the similarity stops.

For further context, here are the two Monrovia white gray Zaras of the hooves above, showing their stickers, chest vent holes, and relative slip color.

<Normal                        Silvery>

Another Monrovia white with silvery hooves.

Photo and model courtesy Sue Thiessen.

Sue Thiessen reported the following:

... does it have weird silvery hooves? as I've worked on them with those hooves. Also, the factory didn't glaze those silvery hooves, they have a varnish on them, that yellows some with age, and it will come off if solvent or thinner is used. [I] don't know what to tell you about the silvery hooves, except that a lot of 9" arabs have them....and, if you mess around with them, the shine will come off, but not the color. Yes, it is factory, for some reason those hooves aren't glazed like the rest of the model....the color is fired on, but not glazed...however that's not to say some might be glazed! 

I once repaired a 9" rosegrey Zara for a good customer. She really had silvery hooves, and I remember I had to work on one or two of them.... My 9" rose gray Zara does not have the silvery hooves, but my white one does, they look just like yours, they aren't yellow either. I think her hooves may be glazed, not sure, didn't mess with them....

Here, the lacquer gloss is starting to yellow with age.

Lacquer stripped, or incomplete application?

Below, the hard, raised edge of the silvery color along the hoof wall shows it was hand-brush applied, not dipped, nor airbrushed. The green is shelf putty, from a previous owner; the putty has proven difficult to remove. Note that the uneven surface of the hoof sole shows dark gray directional airbrushing... the first application of decoration to these hooves.

Sole of a normal, airbrushed gray hoof.

Note the thorough color application.

It appears to only be on Monrovia DW horses. It is found on both white gray and rose gray horses, but not all of them, so it was not a practice that was continuous for each entire run. It may even have been a "save" decoration, applied only to pieces pulled from the line for correcting airbrush runs or rubs on their hooves. Show evidence of airbrush runs being a problem on HR Zara hooves, you say? Check it out:

The entire left side of this normal, airbrushed hoof is a run.

The darker hard lines on these rose gray hooves are airbrush runs of underglaze.

This "save" decoration scenario could be supported by the continuity of body colors (matching family sets) that can be achieved, despite the hooves. We can only know the answer if someone remembered both colors of hooves coming out of a single factory shipment. 

These are random examples, grouped together for photos as families and pairs, not based on their hoof color:

White Amir and Zara: silvery hooves

Photo courtesy Ed Alcorn, The Hagen-Renaker Online Museum.

Rose gray Zara: silvery hooves?

Photo courtesy Ed Alcorn, The Hagen-Renaker Online Museum.

Dark rose gray Zara: silvery hooves?

Rose gray silvery hooves are tricky to determine by photos. 

They can have thick matte glaze that just looks pale.

Photo courtesy Ed Alcorn, The Hagen-Renaker Online Museum.

Normal rose gray hooves.

A dark rose gray with normal hooves.

Sole of a normal rose gray hoof.

DW 6" Zara: silvery hooves?

Photo courtesy Ed Alcorn, The Hagen-Renaker Online Museum.

It's unusual for a production line to add another layer of decoration (added costs of labor and materials), unless it was serving a very distinct purpose. As a ceramist, I would guess that HR quality control found that some hooves needed an overglaze or enamel touch-up, because airbrushing hooves in assembly-line style is fraught with errors. The edges always want to grab the paint spray, and make runs. The underglaze, after drying but before bisque firing, is very fragile and easy to rub off, like pastels. Additionally, overzealous wax resist application could result in unevenly glazed hoof walls, which would make for seconds. If the hooves frequently had production issues, I can see the advantage of using a low-fire enamel, or a commercial lacquer, to make them all one smooth color, with quick a swipe of a brush!  

Where in the Monrovia timeline does the silvery relate to the normal? I am not sure about the dating-by-sticker method, since I don't know which sticker style is older. They were both used during the Monrovia Zaras' 18-month production run. Did the blue Monrovia stickers come later? 

If so, I would be inclined to say that hoof decoration on the large pieces was a work in progress, at first. Once the airbrushing opacity on hooves was solved, and the process streamlined, the later pieces would not require the extra step of decoration. I would, in other words, suspect the silvery hooves to be among the earliest in the production run. This is also based on my own experience/observations of how potteries adapt and streamline their decoration processes.

If you know more about the "silvery hooves", so far only found in Monrovia DWs, I'd be very interested to learn more.