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This is a crossover post, because it touches on California's equine history as well as model horse figurine history.
Breyer Model Horses recently issued a set of three color variations on its "Classic Arabian Stallion" mold, for members of its Collectors Club.
"Zayn," a 2024 Breyer Collectors Club offering. https://www.breyerhorses.com/search?q=zayn* |
The folks at Breyer are to be commended for mentioning that the mold was originally designed by artist Maureen Love (1922-2004).
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Hagen-Renaker "Ferseyn" |
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A plastic Breyer "Classic Arabian Stallion" and the ceramic Hagen-Renaker "Ferseyn." |
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The Arabian stallion Ferseyn |
Inspired by the real Arabian stallion Ferseyn (*Raseyn x *Ferda), Maureen created the design for the California pottery Hagen-Renaker, Inc. which released him in ceramic starting in 1958. Breyer first issued the mold in plastic, as the Classic Arabian Stallion, in 1973.
Breyer is calling this 2024 release of the design "Zayn," apparently a takeoff on the name "Ferseyn." And that's a lovely name for him. (As I write, model horse hobbyists are discussing the release of "Zayn" with great excitement.)
Obviously pronunciations can differ depending on the speaker, but I believe that, back in his day, "Ferseyn" was pronounced more like Fer-SEEN than Fer-SANE, to rhyme with "rain." I've also heard it pronounced somewhere in between "seen" and "sane."
Ferseyn's name was a combination of his dam's name, *Ferda, and his sire, *Raseyn.
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Ferseyn as a colt, in the Fresno Bee newspaper. *Ferda had been sold to rancher Fred Vanderhoof when she was carrying Ferseyn. |
A young Ferseyn, in Western Livestock Journal |
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The older Ferseyn, also in Western Livestock Journal, when he was owned by Herbert H. Reese |
It makes sense that Ferseyn would rhyme with *Raseyn. And we know how people in the 1920s-1940s pronounced *Raseyn -- with a long E at the end.
*RASEYN at the Kellogg Ranch, 1926 |
Ms. St. Gaudens had homes in Claremont, California and in New Hampshire. Newspaper accounts said the sculptor had planned to take it back to New Hampshire with her, cast it in bronze there, and exhibit it in New York.
The Kellogg House on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona now has her sculpture of *Raseyn, closed away in a cabinet with trophies won by some of the Arabians and Percherons of the Kellogg Ranch. They took little *Raseyn out for his photo shoot during the 75th anniversary of the Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch; his picture appears in Mary Jane Parkinson's The Romance of the Kellogg Ranch.
We also hear *Raseyn's name pronounced about six seconds into this 1932 newsreel outtake, then again at about 4:19. (Be sure to come back here to finish the story, after you get lost in this film.)
The beauty of this video is that we can see *Raseyn in action, almost throughout. At about 8:03 we see *Raseyn and Antez at a trot and canter under saddle.
*Raseyn was a favorite subject for several artists. Here he poses with his friend Miss Gladys Brown (Edwards) in 1934.
WKKAHL notes that Stevens created the portrait in 1934.
Why do I think it was *Raseyn who posed for sculptor Stevens? Because of two articles that ran in the Palm Springs, California Desert Sun during World War II.A local insurance broker and realtor, Herbert Samson, had been given a copy of the equine head study by Stevens, who had lived in the area. Samson boxed up the artwork to send it to Stevens and stored it in the trunk of his car. Then thieves stole the box.
Absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful! What a treasure. That newsreel had me thinking of Walter Farley. I must go re-read some Arab stuff,... I've run across Augustus St Gaudens in Lessard's book Architect of Desire. Some research reveals Annette married his brother Louis.
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