"No other member in the whole class of mammals is colored in so extraordinary a manner as the adult male mandrills" wrote Charles Darwin in "The Descent of Man". It should therefore come as no surprise that the artists at Herend would want to capture this striking animal in porcelain - but with their usual Herend twist. Combining Herend's signature fishnet with the Mandrill's fantastical colors, this figurine is a dazzling homage to the world's largest monkey.
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With echoes of caryatids, the draped female figures used as columns in ancient Greek architecture, Herend's sculptor has created a compote supported by three elegant seahorses with draping as well - albeit with a pattern alluding to the intricate armored plates that cover their bodies. Once this piece was given to the painting studio, the artists added to the story by decorating each seahorse in a slightly different fishnet color palette reflecting their maritime home. To complete the beautiful ...
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The intensity of this figurine resides with the sculptor who created a bird so dramatic one can almost feel the air currents emanating from its flapping wings. When it moved to the painting studio, the artists deferred to mother nature and simply accentuated the bird's fierce yellow eyes and added liberal touches of gold to its otherwise subtle brown coloration which the artists knew would be enough to impart the appropriate regal presence for such an iconic bird of prey.
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If there were a competition for synchronized swimming in the animal kingdom, this pair of seahorses would surely win gold both for their harmonized poses as well as the beauty of their costumes. For this aquatic show, the seahorses have anchored themselves to a gold coral barre and enlisted some sparkly seashells as back-up dancers.
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Clearly this gorgeous bunny has been eating her veggies because her gray coat is sparkling! Aware that her herbivore diet has made her the prettiest girl in the meadow, she has added to her allure by donning a beautiful floral garland. Usually, her observant eyes would be scanning for predators but, in this case, she is simply taking in all of the admiring glances.
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An exquisitely sculpted bunny, so lifelike one keeps anticipating a twitch or an exhale, rests among a sea of hand-molded flowers. From a simple piece of clay, talented hands roll, pinch, and combine layer upon layer to create meticulous, delicate blossoms. Exhibiting the unrivaled artistry of Herend, the resulting vignette is so realistic even mother nature herself might be fooled.
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With every figurine, there is the challenge for Herend's painters to honor and herald what the sculptor has accomplished in form. Here, after careful study of the subject in white, section by section, layer by layer, the artist has applied a complex painting style befitting this crested beauty, one of the largest and most memorable forest birds in North America. Alas, even noble birds like the pileated woodpecker can't escape the everyday, such as feeding a pair of very hungry offspring.
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As with most creatives, Herend's artists have an inherent restlessness to perpetually innovate in the pursuit their craft. With this achingly elegant swan, they have employed a striking, new painting technique to capture the airy, delicate composition of a bird's feather. To heighten the swan's allure further, the face has been painted in a natural coloration which gives full expression to the haunting beauty of this figurine.
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The golden hour of daylight and the majestic scenery of his forest home are reflected in the burnished coat of Herend's stately moose. A creative scene within a scene, the artists at Herend have rendered a remarkably rich composition using just two colors.
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Two ducks pose in their feathery finest with alternating colors of yellow, green, brown and terracotta fishnet offset by dramatic gold highlights. Their coy expression could be attributed to the fact that they know a secret: the logs they are sitting on aren't real. Herend's artists have done a masterful job painting in the faux bois style and only a close inspection reveals the true porcelain composition.
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It is immediately identifiable by its glamorous plumage; however, even if presented only in silhouette, the wood duck would still be recognizable by its unique shape consisting of a famously boxy, crested head and long, broad tail. Luckily, Herend's figurine features all dimensions and kaleidoscopic colors of this perching waterfowl and combines multiple patterns and painting techniques to expertly capture this North American beauty.
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This female pheasant seems to be keeping a wary eye on her surroundings although her motivation to run away has been tempered by her desire to show off her beautifully painted plumage - done Herend-style. Her normal cinnamon color takes on an exotic air when combined with pops of 24K gold and a fish scale treatment on her wings that hints at the pheasant's Asian origins.
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Summer green has given way to an autumnal explosion of color on this climbing vine which means this bird will soon depart its summer home for southern destinations. This feathered beauty was a shy resident, preferring to hop around behind the cover of leaves and branches, but the neighborhood got to know it nonetheless through its daily songs. When Mother Nature awakens in the spring and restores the bird's sanctuary, the village knows the bird's lullabies will soon return as well.
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While this mother & baby are a North American subspecies of the brown bear, they are more commonly known as grizzly bears. As to the origin of their name, the bears can thank none other than Lewis & Clark whose journals mention a "grisley bear" no doubt referring to these majestic symbols of the wild whose grizzled appearance is caused by the long guard hairs on their backs and shoulders frequently having white tips. The fur of these bears is often dark brown but can vary from ...
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The American Kestrel may be North America's smallest raptor but by no means does that diminish its abilities as a hunter as evidenced by those impressive talons. What it lacks in size the kestrel makes up in coloration since it is considered the most colorful of raptors. Often found perched on a wire or a pole, the kestrel will pump its long tail to keep its balance while scanning for an unfortunate grasshopper. The sculptors and painters at Herend had no desire to embellish such a dignified ...
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Mother nature perfected him and now Herend's artists have immortalized the famous little shorebird often found darting along the water's edge doing his memorable bobbing dance. With stilt-like legs designed for standing in water and a long beak ideal for digging for coastal creatures, the sandpiper is a common presence along beaches (but can actually be found anywhere with water). In the hands of Herend's artists, the sandpiper makes his debut in dramatic fashion from his striking coloration to ...
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Depictions of mythical mermaids differ strongly. Sometimes they are sirens of the sea luring sailors to their deaths with their song. Other times they are keepers of the ocean charged with rescuing mankind from accidents. Regardless of the mermaid's intent, the legends agree that they are elusive, alluring beauties. Herend's mermaid, with her soft smile, is not sharing her secrets today but even without her song, she still enchants. Perched on a giant clam shell with its pearlized core exposed, ...
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When mother nature gets it right from the start, she knows better than to continuously improve upon her own design. That is probably why the nautilus has remained virtually unchanged in over 500 million years and is considered to be a living fossil. The artists at Herend know perfection when they see it, so they have decided to simply add some Herend-style flourishes such as dramatic gold fishnet and touches of pearlized paint to further highlight the beautiful details of this animal.
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Speaking volumes without uttering a sound, the story of a fierce apex predator is told through a powerful sculpture and dramatic painting. As the largest living cat species, a tiger needs no introduction nor embellishment and through the artists at Herend, the intensity, energy and beauty of this feline is exquisitely captured in porcelain.
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