All The Pretty Little Horses

Go to sleep you little baby

When you wake, you will have cake

And all the pretty little horses

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys

A coach and six white horses

Traditional American Lullaby

Currently there are a couple of very pretty, and highly collectible, little horses stabled in our trove. This brightly colored wooden horse is ready rock,

The seat carries the colorful elephant mark of Mengel Playthings. The company was founded  by C. Mengel as a furniture company in the late 1800s in Louisville, Kentucky, and was later operated by brothers C.C.Mengel Jr. and C.R. Mengel as C.C. Mengel & Brothers Company. Under its Playthings line, company produced a variety of sturdy wooden toys from the 1920s through the 1940s, with an emphasis on riding toys, such as rockers, carts, and wagons. The company also produced wooden boxes, doors, windows, and subassemblies for car manufacturers. It was acquired in 1956 by Kroehler Manufacturing Company.

The tiny tot riding this wheeled steed would have music wherever he (or she) goes, because this perky pony has bells on its toes (or actually encased in its metal wheels).

It was made by the Gong Bell Manufacturing Company. This company was founded in 1866 in the East Hampton, Connecticut, where it produced bells, including for early automobiles, and a variety of toys. In 1872, it was granted a patent  for “revolving chimes,” described as “a pair of cast brass gongs, mounted between two malleable iron wheels.” However, the company's wood and metal toys could not compete with the introduction of lighter and less expensive plastic in toy manufacturing and closed in the 1960s.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

3-15343, 3-15344

A Truly Grand Canyon

This amazing painting features a breathtaking view of the  Grand Canyon, capturing in meticulous detail the play of light and shadow among the rugged rocks, revealing their rich coloring under the vast blue of the sky.

The piece is signed "John D. Cogan" and dated 1985.

The back of the painting carries the same name and date in pencil, as well as the title, "South Rim View."

Born in 1953 in Wichita Falls, Texas, John Cogan grew up in Texas. Although his education was concentrated in the sciences, with a physics degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters and a Ph.D. in Physics from Rice University, he always has an interest in painting and art. Following a visit to the Grand Canyon, and at the urging of his wife, in 1982 he left his position as an atomic physicist for Shell Oil Company to paint full time. Cogan has stated that his background in physics and knowledge of geology has helped him to realistically render the subtle colors and contrasting the light and shadows of the mountains and canyons of the Southwest. Living with his family in New Mexico, Cogan works exclusively in acrylics, typically painting "plein air" (in the open air). He meticulously applies various painting techniques and different finishes to render his detailed landscapes, 

Cogan's favorite subject is the Grand Canyon, and he has painted it in all seasons and from many viewpoints, but his landscapes have also included other famed landmarks, such as Zion National Park. He has participated and exhibited at plein air exhibitions at both sites and has been awarded numerous awards for his work. His works are part of the permanent collections worldwide, including the Grand Canyon, the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, Raymond James Financial, Xanterra Corporation, Zion National Park, Bernalillo County, Citizens Bank, Conoco Phillips, McGraw Hill, San Juan College, Eastern New Mexico University,  and the Sultanate of Oman.

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

16069-743

Birds of a Feather. . .

flock together on this outstanding and stunning 11-piece game set, The set consists of a platter and 10 plates, all with an ornate scalloped rim bright with lavish gilding. Each piece portrays a pair of game birds, hand painted in rich, vibrant color.

Each piece is signed by the artist, "Norys."

The back of each plate carries a green mark of a crown over the words "Coronet" and framed by "Limoges" and "France," This mark was registered to George Borgfeldt and Company, an importer based in New York, City. The company had a china decorating studio in France where skilled artists decorated china blanks purchased from porcelain manufacturers in and around Limoges, France. This mark dates these beautiful bird plates from 1906 to 1920. After 1920, the word "Trademark" was added.

Some of the plates are further marked "Limoges France."

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

16571-36

Oh, You Beautiful Doll. . . .

. . .you great, big, beautiful doll

Let me put my arms about you

I could never live without you

Oh, You Beautiful Doll, 1911, Seymour Brown and Nat D. Ayer.

You'll want to put your arms around these great, big, beautiful dolls by famed German doll artist Annette Himstedt. Named Pancho and Panchita, these wistful children were a limited edition issued in 1994. 

Himstedt is renown for her sensitive and realistic portraits of children in both porcelain and vinyl, as well as for the high quality of her creations. Typical of Himstedt's work, these vinyl dolls have warms brown complexions, beautifully modeled features, human hair wigs, and detailed ethnic costumes. 

Each doll is signed with its name and carries Himstedt's signature.

Himstedt was born in 1948 in East Germany, her family fleeing to West Germany in 1956. As a child, she loved to draw. At the age of 27, after divorce left her with two young children to support, Himstedt became a model in the fashion industry.  Himstedt began to experiment in doll making, with the goal of creating realistic portraits of young children. In 1982, she displayed 15 porcelain dolls at a Christmas market. Soon her dolls were appearing in magazines and other media and demand for her unique portrait dolls spread, making her one of the most famous contemporary doll artists. In 1985, UNICEF asked Himstedt to create five dolls representing children from different parts of the world to be auctioned off on a television charity event. The following year, Himstedt introduced her first vinyl doll. To meet both the growing demand for her dolls and her exacting artistic standards, in 1988 Himsteadt founded her own porcelain factory in Germany. Originally, her vinyl dolls were produced in Spain, but in 2000 vinyl production was also moved to the German factory. Himstedt produced her dolls as one-of-a-kind creations and in limited editions. As she aged, Himstedt cut back on her doll production and in 2008 closed her factory. 

All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!

8812-3022