War horses were the pride of the Tang (AD 618-907), a dynasty of prosperity, military expansion and artistic achievement. Tang emperors were known for their openness to new ideas about art, religion, philosophy and music, unlike most Chinese dynasties which tried to cut off their empire from outside influences. Since the horse was so revered culturally, it was often the subject of artistic endeavors during this time. Among the most treasured Tang art figures were ceramic horses glazed in cobalt blue since they comprised such a small percentage of all Tang horses. Cobalt was an extremely expensive commodity from the Middle East that was even more valuable than gold. Its use meant the horse was created for someone of the highest rank. While the price of blue has decreased over the years, the use of the color still renders this figurine the pride of any Tang nobleman. Sapphire blue fishnet combined with the blue coloration of the chrysanthemum pattern on the blanket offset by the 24K gold highlights throughout the body make for a very saturated and intense figurine. Endearing animals meek and bold, large and small, demure and majestic eagerly await the chance to melt your heart and warm your home.   Each is brought to life by the skilled hands of artisans crafting and painting these charming porcelain creatures.  The famous fishnet décor adorning many of the animals took form in 1858 when a Herend painter became inspired by a fishscale design he saw on a Chinese porcelain plate and painted a similar pattern onto a rooster figurine to imitate feathers.  The rest is history, with the fishnet design now a Herend signature prized worldwide. Now the biggest porcelain manufactory in Europe, Herend was founded in 1826 to produce earthenware in the small Hungarian village for which it was named. At the time, Hungary was flooded with low-cost pottery, but in 1839, Mor Fischer became the Manufactory’s new owner and he decided to focus on producing dinnerware replacement pieces for Europe’s royal families to complement their valuable porcelain patterns from Germany and the Far East. As his client base grew, Fischer commissioned his artists to begin designing dinnerware patterns of their own. Queen Victoria’s 1851 purchase of a large set for Windsor Castle was a milestone, setting the stage for aristocrats throughout Europe to clamor for Herend in their estates. In the 1850s, Herend added meticulously-crafted figurines to its creations. Herend’s trademark fishnet pattern, which is widely recognized and prized as Herend’s signature design, started in 1858 when an artist who was intrigued with a Chinese plate’s fish scale design painted it onto a rooster figurine to imitate feathers.