Herend Presents Seven New Porcelain Figurines in Atlanta

—Introductions Range From Aquatic to Meadow Creatures—

STERLING, VA, July 8, 2008…Herend will present seven new figurines ranging from aquatic to meadow creatures at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, July 8-16. These new introductions will be on display at the Herend showroom in Suite 907 of the Atlanta Gift Mart.

“Herend figurines are so perfectly sculpted and hand painted that one would almost expect to see them move, and these newest introductions are no exception,” commented Maureen Ellis, director of marketing for Herend in the U.S. “Inspiration for these lifelike porcelain creations comes from the artist’s mind, real life and oftentimes books. Each detailed porcelain sculpture is designed to captivate the Herend collector and connoisseur with their superior artistry.”

What creature is more a part of the American farm landscape than a cow? With 24-karat gold painted hooves and nostrils, Herend’s Cow (5-inches long, 4-inches tall) is however no ordinary cow! Newest member in the Farmyard Collection, she is suggested to retail for $430.

Herend takes a universally recognized symbol, the cross, and interprets it in exquisite porcelain with 24-karat gold accents. The Cross (4 ¾-inches tall, 2 ½-inches wide) is available in four “Chinese Bouquet” colors: blue, green, raspberry and rust. A hole is on the back of the cross so that it can be mounted on the wall. Suggested retail price is $195.

Nicknamed the “wiener dog” because of its long body and short legs, Herend’s Dachshund (5-inches long, 3 ¼-inches tall) will immediately capture everyone’s heart. His toes and nose are painted in 24-karat gold. Described as a playful and fun dog, although reputed to have a stubborn streak, the Dachshund joins the Domestic Collection, and is suggested to retail for $345.

Characterized by large eyes, strong wings and an elongated body, the Dragonfly (4 ¼-inches wide, 3 ½-inches long) is a graceful looking creature. Its body is hand painted in a fishnet pattern while the eyes, tail and vein pattern on the wings is painted in 24-karat gold. Suggested retail price is $225.

A Large Owl on Books (11 ½-inches high) is a majestic figure for the mantel or, since one version faces right and the other left, to use as bookends. His colors are spectacular with the body painted in a fishnet pattern and the wings painted in three different solid colors. The talons grip the top of a book, and 24-karat gold decorates the beak and talon tips. An owl’s link to wisdom dates back to ancient Greece when the goddess Athena was known as the goddess of wisdom, and the owl was her mascot. From these ancient beginnings, imagery of an owl sitting on books became a natural extension of this association with wisdom. Suggested retail price is $1,335.

A Rooster with Hen (4-inches long, 4 ½-inches tall) joins the Farmyard Collection. The study charmingly portrays the proud rooster posing with a hen from his protected flock. It is available in four shaded fishnet combinations: black rooster with chocolate hen, blue rooster with raspberry hen, rust rooster with blue hen and butterscotch rooster with butterscotch hen. Twenty-four karat gold accents their beaks, tail feathers and toes. Suggested retail price is $505.

A Double Seahorse (6 ¾-inches tall, 5-inches long) is a striking porcelain composition of two seahorses bobbing on a base of shells and coral, one hand painted in blue, and the other in raspberry. Twenty-four karat gold highlights their coronets and fronts. The Double Seahorse in dual colors joins the Aquatic Collection. Suggested retail price is $875.

The “Dachshund,” “Cow” and “Dragonfly” are available in shaded fishnet colors while the “Large Owl on Books” is available in non-shaded fishnet colors, including blue, black, butterscotch, chocolate, green, raspberry and rust.

Herend’s internationally recognized fishnet pattern dates back to 1874 whereas the pattern itself is much older and was first used on Chinese porcelain figurines to represent bird feathers and fish scales. The design is individually hand painted by a Herend artist who is specially trained in this skill and who must possess considerable discipline and a steady hand to hand paint this free form style design so that it fits the contours of the individual figurines. As the finishing touch, the artist places his or her personal identification number on the bottom of every piece to authenticate that it is an original piece of Herend porcelain art, and one destined for collections of those who appreciate that no two are ever identical.

Herend currently offers over 300 creatures and figures in the U.S. with each organized into one of fourteen distinct categories in order to assist collectors in choosing their favorites. These include Aquatic, Aviary, Baby Animals, Bunny, Domestic, Farmyard, Folk & Fairytale, Forest, Jungle, Kingdom Classic, Meadow, Miniature, Safari and Waterfowl.

Founded in 1826, Herend maintains its international reputation for the highest standards of excellence in hand painted porcelain. The manufactory employs 530 painters to hand paint each exquisite porcelain piece.

Martin’s Herend Imports, a family-owned and operated importing business located in Virginia, was founded in 1957, and has been the exclusive importer and distributor of Herend in the U.S. for fifty-one years.

For more information on these latest Herend figurine introductions, call toll free at 1-800-643-7363 or visit the website at www.herendusa.com.