Sunday, October 4, 2020

Zahra

When I found out about the return of the In-Between Mare, my first reaction was “I can’t believe they’re actually doing this.” 

My second reaction was “Keeping this secret is going to be next-level hard.”

My third reaction, when they finally decided what colors she’d come in as the Gambler’s Choice model, was “I guess that means I’ll be getting the Matte Dappled Palomino one, then.”

Yep:

And that’s fine. I haven’t even attempted to acquire other Vintage Club Gambler’s Choice pieces beyond the one my subscription gives me, so I certainly wasn’t going to start that nonsense now with a mold so rare that most hobbyists haven’t even seen a vintage example in person. 

Having an actual piece in hand that I can now examine at length and at my leisure, you know what she reminds me of? A Hong Kong Breyer Knockoff! 

But I don’t mean that in a negative way: my Zahra is just as well-constructed and painted as any other of my Vintage Club pieces. It’s in her awkward similarities to both the Old Mold/Proud Arabian Mare and the Family Arabian Mare, without be an exact copy of either. 

In other words, like many Knockoffs, she feels both a little familiar and also a little off. Her legs also seem a bit “knobby” in the same way a lot of Hong Kong Knockoffs are, but I think I my mind might be accentuating the knobbiness because of the other Knockoff vibes she gives off. 

As mentioned on their blog, this is the real deal, not a digital rescan: the mold was built up and around the original metal insert from 1959/1960. This also means that unlike the Traditional Alborozo, it’s now a permanent addition to Breyer’s stable of molds, which means we will be seeing her again. 

When, and in what context, I do not know. I’d like to think that they would use her sparingly to preserve her mystique, possibly only for Special Run items. 

I would forego attempts to camouflage her anatomical issues with more “normal” horse colors, though, and lean into her oddness. Personally, I’d go with either Decorator paint jobs (Christmas or otherwise) or improbable but theoretically possible realistic color combinations, like Dunalino Pintaloosa or Reverse Dappled Flaxen Liver Chestnut Roan Splash Pinto.

What’s nice about this approach is that it would roll very neatly into next year’s BreyerFest theme of “Horse of Another Color”, however they choose to execute it. (A topic I promise to get to, eventually.) 

And in case you were wondering, I’d take that Chalky Buckskin Stud Spider Appaloosa Test Piece one in a heartbeat:

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was surprised I got the bay, I typically get my least favorite. I find the mold intriguing, and thrilled I was able to possess one, even if it isn't vintage.

Anonymous said...

I ended up with the bay - I absolutely love her. She's been intriguing to me since I saw the eBay auction last year (?). I agree with your opinion; the familiarity yet the oddness of the mold is interesting to me, too.

Suzanne said...

The hooves look too wide or something, that’s what makes her look Hong Kong-ish to me. I love that her tail is a flip, so appropriate for her era. I totally agree, a simpler, less realistic paint job would suit her better. But nevertheless, awesome piece!!

Yvonne said...

I too, was well aware that if there were 2 glossy and 1 matte I would get the matte. Breyer did not disappoint! But she's unique in her own way...

Corky said...

Her face is so sweet!

ANDREA said...

It is! And her color really is quite lovely. When it comes to Gambler's Choices, though, I rarely get the Gloss, even when the odds are stacked in my favor!

(Except for Claude. I'm still a teeny bit peeved about Claude.)