Very little is known about those huge, clunky, and let's face it, ADORABLE Freeman Leidy circus horses. Even less seems to be known about the company itself.
A Google search turns up little about the Freeman Leidy company, but we do know that they were a mid century California pottery that churned out decorative knickknacks and tchotchkes. (Knickknack and Tchotchke are going to be the names of my next pair of Freeman Leidys.)
And, of course, they made those charming circus horses. They are almost as difficult to find as the Metlox Poppytrail circus horses .
and if I found one for under $200, I'd consider it a bargain.
One of my pink Head Up ponies was a $25 eBay find. It was my very first Freeman Leidy, and I have never bought another for that little!
As I began actively collecting them, I discovered a couple of things. First, they had been produced in pairs as a Head Up and a Head Down Pony.
Its counterpart, the Head Down version.
Then, I discovered as I found more of them, that each pair seemed to have mirror pieces. For example, the purple/green pair's mirror would be green/purple.
This is the only green/purple piece I have ever seen and it is mine. I know it has a counterpart because of this photo:
I don't have this one yet, but I am looking for it! (Photo found online.)
This photo, the previous one, and the next are from an online sale. The seller refused to ship and so I missed these. But they are a great reference for me - not only was the Head Down in green/purple among them, but I see a pair of blue/yellow horses.
I don't have either of those and it was those blue/yellows that led to a mystery.
Knowing the Freeman Leidy circus horses were paired not only as head up/head down and then purple/green, green/purple, etc., I expect to some day find the reverse of the pink/blue.
But I look at that photo and see blue/yellow, not blue/pink.
And that is a mystery I'd love to solve - are the blue/yellows supposed to be the mirrors of the pink/blue? Or is this another pairing?
To help myself as I research, I made a couple of lists.
What I Know about Freeman Leidys
- They are paired as Head Up and Head Down.
- Each color seems to have a mirror pair that is the reverse color. For example purple/green has a green/purple mirror.
- Ribbon shaping can vary.
- Tail shapes can vary.
- The plume's shaft length can vary from quite long (see the purple/green Head Up) to quite short.
- The pink/blue Head Up piece has been the easiest for me to find. I believe it to be the most common of the Freeman Leidys. (I actually didn't buy the last one I found since I already had two and these clinkies are pricey.)
- The purple/green Head Down has been the easiest Head Down to find but is harder to find than the pink/blue Head Up.
Questions I Have about Freeman Leidys
- Is the blue/yellow pair supposed to be the mirror of the pink/blue?
- Is the blue/yellow paired with a yellow/blue set?
- Are there any other pairs and mirrors pairs that have not yet surfaced among collectors?
Still Searching for to Add to my Collection
- The Head Down in pink/blue.
- The Head Down in green/purple.
- Both the Head Up and Head Down in blue/yellow.
- If they exist, the Head Up and Head Down in blue/pink.
- If they exist, the Head Up and Head Down in yellow/blue.
Here is a picture of the Freeman Leidys currently in my collection. I did not take them out for the picture - they simply are too fragile.
A Head Up green/purple, a Head Up pink/blue, and the Head Down purple/green again.
There is something else about the Freeman Leidys to share, and that will be tomorrow's blog post.
Stay 'tooned!
No comments:
Post a Comment