Talk to the Hippos

Another first... and only, I must add. During one of my eBay searches, which I am trying to minimize... this Hippopotamus Westland Music Figure (#7077) came up, and I had to have it. I did not expect very much of it, as it was only 10 USD, but I was in for a surprise. All the hippos are very much detailed and really nicely done. Even the tune: Talk to the Animals (link to version of Louis Armstrong), sounds nice. Of course not as nice and jazzy as the one by Louis, but "considering-it-is-a-music-box-nice". Most of the time, I am not that much into whimsical hippo items, but I have become rather fond of this lovely bloat. Just wondering who would come up with a design like this, as I would not necessarily put "music box" and "hippos" together. Just happy somebody did. Whatever floats your bloat! 

Precious

"Did you bring any hippo jewelry?" I asked my dear friend Jen, when I met her a few weeks ago. "Sorry Lien, this time I did not, the only thing I have is this one I am wearing." And she pointed at a cute little hippo, hanging upside down from a chain. The reason I asked, was that space to display my collection is becoming a little bit of an issue. So I love "anything-hippo" I can wear. Unfortunately, cute looking, hand made items are hard to find. When we were saying our farewells a few days later, Jen asked me "Would you like to have this one?" She probably saw the shock on my face, and added "I can always make myself another one!" It was enough to make me feel less overwhelmed and more ready to accept this beautiful present with increasing excitement. Dear Jen, thank you so much for your generosity, and most of all for your company and friendship. I am wearing my pressious little friend with pleasure and pride!

Lil Snoozer

Doesn't this lil fellow make you wonder what he is dreaming about? As you might know already, I so happen to have a huge weakness for sleeping hippos (see posts: Bubbles and Sleeping Beauty). This figurine is hand cast and hand painted in San Diego - California, USA, by a company called Sandicast. He measures about 3,5 inches or 9 cm in length, and according to a sticker on his belly, he is called Lil Snoozer. A very suitable name indeed. Despite the fact that he has only 3 toes on each foot (toe police here), his adorable face makes more than up for it. 

OK... move on quietly, we wouldn't want to wake him up, now would we?

Hippos in Golden Sunrise

Just recently, I came across a wonderful article on the website of the Huffington Post, published on the 25th of March, 2015. The title: 10 Wildlife Photographers You Should Follow On 500px Right Now (please visit link Huffington Post - 10 wildlife photographers). All featured pictures are absolutely stunning. No need to tell which photograph is my favorite :-). I am proud to be able to share this masterpiece, made by Sergey Ivanov. Once in a while, I see a photograph that makes me jealous, making me wish I made that shot... and be only half as good a photographer. To see so many in just 1 article, blew me away. Wildlife Photography at its finest!

Hippos in Golden Sunrise, by Sergey Ivanov on 500px.com

Rolf

This cute looking fella looks a bit like a little brother of William, the unofficial mascot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (see post: William). Although they are not brothers, they do have a lot in common. Origin, color and papyrus flower decorations to begin with. Both original pieces, have their legs broken / damaged, to prevent them from chasing and attacking people in the afterlife. And both can be found in a museum, only the museums are miles apart. William's home is the Metropolitan in New York City - USA, while this hippo can be found in the Dutch National Museum (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden)  in Leiden - The Netherlands. 

Dear Rolf, I am very sorry you too are infected with the "looking for hippos" virus. But without it, you and Klaas would not have found this beautiful figurine, so I am not that sorry ;-). Thank you for thinking about me, and I can't wait to formally introduce you to William, when you visit us next spring!  

(from the website of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden: information about the original figurine: Object: votive figurine, Dating: 2000 - 1800 BC, Material: faience, Measurements: height 10 cm (3,9 inch), length 20 cm (7,8 inch), Origin: Egypt, Collection: Egypt, Object number: AED170)

Boo-Boo

For those of you familiar with my blog, know that the people of the Hopewell Antiques Center, are keeping an eye out for me for anything hippo (See posts: Hopewell Junction's Four and Hopewell's Belle). A few months ago, I received another call. They had found a few hippos. Upon arrival, Diane told me: "I found this one, but when I came home I saw it had a little boo-boo, so you probably would not like to have it. It's yours if you want it, you don't have to pay for it... Maybe you can fix it. Sorry, I just did not see it". All I saw was this adorable hippo girl with pink toes (for the Toe-Police: Yes, four on each foot!) and a pink flower, smiling at me. She does have a little crack, indeed. Only visible if you turn her upside down, and look on the inside. This handmade piece (signed: Cotilla) was coming home with me... crack and all, it was just too cute to leave behind. It is sitting on a shelf, and every time I see it, I remember Diane's remark, about her having a boo-boo.... so that's what I decided to call her. I have not repaired her yet. Maybe she is not meant to be fixed.... her name is Boo-Boo for a reason, no?

Paris, Je t'aime!

You might recognize this post's title as the title of a French film, released in 2006. The film has nothing to do with hippos, but I thought it reflects my feelings best. I have visited this city many times, and I never get tired of it. And of course, the best place to be at night is Trocadero - Palais de Chaillot. To see the Eiffel Tower, obviously. But to me it is also the best place to people watch! Anything from wedding parties, to loud music bands and crazy tourist... you will see them there. This photo is taken, right after a Mexican couple made their "crazy-faces-selfies" and right before some giggling elderly Japanese ladies created their souvenirs. It took the rest of the night to convince Leo, the ladies thought he was cute... but since I do not speak Japanese, Leo does not trust or believe me. Oh well, never mind Leo, just turn around and look at those lights... don't you just love Paris?

Pygmy Premiere

This is not the first Pygmy on my blog (see post: Pygmy Power), but a first pygmy figurine. It comes with an entertaining story. We were strolling around a huge open air flea market, and because all family members were looking for different things, at some point we split up. Suddenly my daughter and I spotted this cute baby pygmy figurine (Pygmy Hippo, Fine Porcelain - Lenox - Smithsonian Institute 1993). Although very cute, I decided not to buy it. I am collecting Nile hippos... not the pygmy ones. When we all met up, my daughter immediately belted out " You know, mom saw a Pygmy, but she didn't buy it, but it was soooo cute, so she has to buy it.... and it was only 10 USD." The reply of my husband: "I have never seen any of those ever, so I think you should get it." I was stunned. My family, normally grumbling and making faces, any time I see or want to buy a hippo, is now urging me to buy this one? Another first :-). So, off I went... and returned with the in newspapers wrapped Pygmy. At this moment, it sits next to my computer monitor, as I feel I can't put it in between the Nile ones... but I also can't put it far away, as I get more and more attached to it, each day. I don't know whether this is the start of something... all I know it started with something very sweet!

Eefje

An enabler is a person who helps somebody with his or her collection. An example of "collectors jargon" that interestingly enough, can't be translated in my mother tongue. Even Google Translate does not come up with anything. I had to think about this, because this sweet little hippo (measuring about 2 inch (6 cm) ), found its way to my collection, all the way from Mallorca. I could say it was given to me by an enabler, but I have to be more precise. It was given to me by an enabler of an enabler... made me wonder how you would call those? "Secondary Enablers?" The sister of my dear friend Marius spotted this cutie, while on holiday. She gave it to him, and he shipped it (together with loads of chocolate and sugary sprinkles) to me. When I called to thank him, he started to complain. "Whenever I see a store or vendor, selling something with animals, I simply have to check whether there is a hippo". Being brainwashed and suffering from deteriorating, and gravely impacted sanity, are his claims. I hope he did not expect a sympathetic ear, as all I could do is laugh!

Dear Eefje, I am sorry, it seems your brother has infected you with this "looking for anything hippo" disease... No cure has been found yet, but I promise you, occasional moments of hippo-happiness, will be very much worth it. Thank you so much for your present. And as tradition dictates, she is called after you. 

Hippo (Butt) Pendant

A few months ago, my dear friend Sheila shared on FB a hippo pendant, being for sale on E-Bay. When I saw it, I quickly snatched it up. The first time ever, I had seen a "Hippo-Butt-Pendant" or as it was described more elegantly on E-Bay: sterling silver designer hippopotamus rear pendant. A few weeks ago, I was wearing it, when meeting some friends for lunch. It is a nice conversation starter: "Did you see my new hippo butt?" Of course, it made everybody laugh. Then one of my friends asked: "What kind of jewelry designer comes up with the idea to design a hippo butt in the first place...?" I thought it was hilarious, as she seemed to be genuinely puzzled. To me it is beyond obvious: if you are a designer of anything hippo, and you want to have some fun... hippo butts are the answer (giving it a little more thought, I believe one can argue that hippo butts are the answer to a whole load of questions... ;-).

Dear Sheila, thank you for sharing and making me smile! I am getting my dose of Hippo-Happiness instantly, every time I see it. Hippo-Happiness in the form of a Butt-Pendant... it doesn't get much better than this. HHHLLxxx

Mwanamke Inge

It's time for some hippo-happiness shared by friends. Yesterday, my dear friend, who is currently posted in Zimbabwe, featured a bunch of lovely hippo pictures on her FB page. When I saw them, I immediately shared them with my hippo-loving group of friends: Hippolotofus.

Dear Inge, thank you for making everybody's day! I am missing our chats and fun times together. It is wonderful for you and Huub to be back in Africa. I know you missed it a lot. If you come across anything hippo again, please don't forget to share :-). Love and HHH (Huge Hippo Hugs). LL

Artis

Artis, short for Natura Artis Magistra, is a zoo in the center of Amsterdam. It is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands and one of the oldest zoos of mainland Europe. As a child I have visited this zoo many times, always rushing to get to my favorite attraction as fast as I could: Tanja, the hippo (died 25th December 2009, at the age of 49). 

While searching on the internet for hippos in the Netherlands, I came across some old pictures of hippos in Artis, made in 1913. I could trace them back to a site called: Memory of the Netherlands. An online image database on any subject imaginable. I tried to find more information, but could not find anything. Fortunately, Artis happens to have a wonderful website, so I decided to try my luck, and send them a message. A few days later I received a very kind reply from the Registrar Artis, with all the information she could find in the zoo's archives. I could not be happier. Dear Jacqueline, thank you very much for taking the time and effort to provide me with all the information. I am very proud to be able to share it through my blog with many hippopotamus-enthusiasts around the world. I am sure they will enjoy it as much as I have. 

Hippopotamus: Betsy 2 with calf (born November 27th 1912), Amsterdam zoo Artis, 1913. 

Scan of the weekly report, by Mr. Kerbert, director of Artis at that time, where he mentioned its birth.

It lived for only a year and died on December 22nd 1913. It was the 7th calf of a hippopotamus couple called Betsy 2 and Cyrus. It was the 22nd hippo calf born in Artis, being the 27th hippo of the Artis Collection.

Information Mother: On March 29th 1898, Betsy 2 came to Artis as a young hippo, only 1,5 years old (born October 1st 1896). She lived the rest of her life in Artis, died January 1940 at the age of 43 years and 3 months.

Information Father: Cyrus came to Artis one year later on May 16th 1899, as a partner for Betsy 2. He was 3 years old (born March 6th 1896). He too lived the rest of his life in Artis, died May 6th 1922 at the age of 26 years and 2 months.

The first calf of Betsy 2 and Cyrus was born on May 13th 1904. They had 11 calves together, but only 1 survived. Her name was Bibi 1, she died December 1st 1944 at the age of 26 years and 4 months. 

After Cyrus passed away, 9 year old Mtoto (born 1913) was brought to Artis on September 18th 1922. He liked Betsy 2 and her daughter Bibi very much, and had many calves with both of them.

More information can be found in the Amsterdam City Archives.

Jacqueline Bultstra - Registrar Artis, August 21st 2015

Pomme-Pidou

"Do you already have a Pomme-Pidou?" my friend asked me a few weeks ago. "No, what is that?" It turns out that Pomme-Pidou (The Original) is the name of a company, specialized in hand painted, one of a kind animal money boxes, or banks. They even offer the possibility to people to send in their own design. They make adorable animal banks, which all have cute names like: Inky, Patsy and Twisty. But most importantly, they make hippo-banks! Their hippo is called: Hippolyte. But I decided to call my: "bright-red-with-multi-colored-swirls-hippo-bank": Pomme-Pidou. I find it such a lovely name... especially for a hippo. Normally, I name hippos after the person who gave them to me, but I already have a hippo-bank called Marius (see post: Marius), so Pomme-Pidou it is. Dear Marius, thank you so much for such a sweet present. Of all the designs I have seen, I think I like this red and these decoration best, so you could not have picked a better one for me. You are the best!

Please check out their website: Pomme-Pidou. Next time somebody asks me: "Do you already have a Pomme-Pidou?" I can say:  "Of course! Everybody should have one!"

Asking the Universe

A few days ago, I watched the Commencement Address at the 2014 MUM graduation, by Jim Carrey, on Youtube (for those of you interested, please click this link: Jim Carrey). Two statements he made, stuck with me. The first one: "You can ask the universe for it!" When I wrote my post: Matryoshka (nesting doll) Hippos, I mentioned my mission: finding a set of happy looking and smiling hippos. I had now idea I would find exactly that, right on my doorstep, only a few weeks later. I am suspecting thought, that the Hippo-Happiness-Universe can work much faster, as it is not too busy with fulfilling party sized requests (as he jokingly stated himself) from Jim Carrey :-). The second statement was: "The effect you have on others, is the most valuable currency there is". It was the first thing I thought, when I opened my surprise packet.

Dearest Diane, you made me speechless. All I can say now is: thank you for your heartwarming kindness, your amazing friendship and the effect you have on my life. Nothing more I could ask any universe for...

Hippo Bag Charm

My vocabulary, describing anything related to fashion is limited... at best. If I had to name this item, I would probably have called it "decoration for your bag". Maybe, if I had been given a little more time, I would have come up with: accessory or embellishment, but that is as far as I can stretch it. For the sake of my blog, I did some research, and found out that the correct term is: Bag Charm. Of course, Google comes up with more than five million results, when looking for (hand)bag charms, not with that many hippo ones though. At the moment this bag charm is used as a lanyard, decorating the lock of my "Hippo-Cabinet", reminding me of my dear "always-on-the-lookout-for-hippos-friend" Divya, who gave this surprise present. To al fashion accessory designers out there: please design more Hippo Bag Charms, because there are not enough of those... and way too many bags (and cabinets for that matter), which would look so much nicer, decorated with a hippo!

 

Sleeping Beauty

The previous post was about smiling hippos. I mentioned the fact that I love sleeping hippos best, because they look so relaxed and happy. I believe, dreaming about endless sweet potato fields, sticky mud and meandering rivers, helps a lot too. Over the years, a few sleeping hippos have made it to this blog (see posts: Inkognito, Bubbles and Nilpferd). Not too sure how I got this sleeping cutie. I think my dear friends Sheila and John were looking for a new home for her, last year. Along with her photo, I am introducing a new therapy, I will call it: Watch-Hippos-Sleep (WHS) Therapy. Not that I believe it will help cure clinically proven depressions, but it certainly helps as a little pick-me-up, for those feeling a bit down. In combination with some Color Therapy (Orange: energizing, warming and stimulates creativity), there is no better way, to start your day!

Ultimate Smiles!

There are a few animals that seem to be smiling all the time, just because of the way they look (dolphins are very well known and liked for that feature). To me, hippopotamuses have the loveliest smiles of them all. As some of you know, my favorite thing about hippos are their flapping and turning ears (watch them, right after they have surfaced :-)), but the second best thing is definitely their smile, especially when they sleep. In this post, some  lovely examples of pure hippo happiness,  found on the internet. It is hard not to smile, when seeing these cute faces!

 

 

 

Let the stormy clouds chase - Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain - I've a smile on my face

 (Singing in the rain)

 

 

Little one, when you play -  Don't you mind what they say.

Let those eyes sparkle and shine -  Never a tear

Baby of mine

 (Dumbo)

 

 

Now’s your moment  - Floating in a blue lagoon -  Boy, you better do it soon

No time will be better - She don’t say a word - And she won’t say a word
Until you kiss the girl
(Little Mermaid)

Biker Bling

It is not very easy to find nice hippo jewelry. I have already published posts about my Pandora charm bracelet (see post: Pandora's Hippo), and a very pretty ceramic ring (see post: Hippo-Ring). I also have a few brooches, my dear friend Sheila gave me (will post in the future). But it is not like you see hippo jewelry everywhere... Last year, I found a hippo ring on Amazon. It was sold as a bikers ring for men. It made me laugh, as it suggests that apparently there is no market for bike riding and hippo loving women. Of course, this find was shared immediately with the Hippo Group, and within the next hours, some more orders were placed. Then a very small plan was made, to get all these cool hippo biker rings together during the upcoming reunion of the Hippopotamus Society, but things did not work out. Maybe we will have to try again this year. Not so many of us riding bikes, but all of us loving (cool looking) hippos!

Coffee Hippos

A long time ago, my dear friends introduced me to instant coffee from Tanzania. For real coffee connoisseurs, instant coffee is a big NO. Of course, it can't compete with fresh roasted beans, but in the "instant coffee league" this is absolutely the best. It is possible for the coffee to taste even better to me, because of the cuteness of the tins it comes in, and the thoughtfulness of dear friends... but I have pleasantly surprised a couple of people over the last few years. Not many people, because I am very stingy when it comes to sharing my precious stack. After a very urgent message to the suppliers ;-), I received a packet, my favorite coffee... wrapped in a beautiful hippo painting. I think it is a coincidence, the hippos having the color of coffee, but I can't help thinking about coffee when I see this painting, so I had to name it: Coffee Hippos.

 

 

Hippo Seat

When the designer brought this fiberglass hippo seat to my house in Bangkok (it is nice to mention, his wife is a hippo collector too), he warned me not to lean in the direction of the head, as it tilts very easily. But with pets, children and guests... what can one do? So of course, his nose got a little bit damaged after some time. Then we heard, we were going to move. I decided to contact the store to see if they could fix it up. I received a complicated story about it being painted with special car paint, and a guy not answering his phone, and a shop being rather far away, so if they could arrange for it... but it could take several months. Of course, by that time, I did not have several months anymore, so it was shipped, chipped nose and all. To have the hippo repainted here in the US, will costs about four times as much as a whole new hippo would cost. So I have decided to be a bit creative. For the time being, his scratch is being covered by a very nice car sticker. Complimented by some matching stickers on the side of his butt. I am sure some day, we will move to a place where paint jobs are not breaking the bank. Till then, colorful butterfly stickers will have to do.
 

 

Design Store: Toine in Bangkok

HomeGoods Hippo

HomeGoods (a chain of home furnishing stores in the USA) is selling Hippo Good(ie)s! I could argue, a home is not complete without a hippo, but I do not think HomeGoods will support that statement with a campaign...  Last year, my friend asked me if I wanted to accompany her to HomeGoods. She needed to return a carpet. So while she was taking care of that, I wandered around. And then I bumped into this beaded beauty. On a lower shelf, partly hidden by some fake plants and flower pots, I spotted something pink. "Found anything?"... my friend asked me on the way out. "Eh..... yes...." and I showed her my newest addition to the bloat. My friend just smiled... what else could one do? Dear Claire, thank you so much for being such a lovely friend. And for turning a simple trip to HomeGoods into a very fond and nice memory.

Matryoshka Hippo

It has been a while, but I am delighted to share another "First" today! Last weekend, after spending another wonderful day in New York, I saw this table set up on the side walk. Very close to the famous toy store FAO Schwarz and Apple HQ, on 5th Avenue. A man was selling Matryoshka dolls (also known as Russian nesting dolls). I could not believe my eyes. In the middle of a row of babushkas, cats and snowmen... I saw a hippo! At first I was excited, but then I was a bit taken aback, because the hippo looks so angry. I told my daughter I was not sure... Her reply: "But it is a hippo mommy!" And she was right. I never saw one before. I just checked on line, only to find images of a few. They all have the grumpy look in common. So, my mission now is to find another set... of cute and happy looking, smiling hippos!

De Rosa

Until a few years ago, I never thought about the possibility of having to become "more selective" when it comes to hippos. They were not easy to find. Finding one, once in a while, and getting a few, thanks to serious efforts of friends and family, my collection was growing very slowly. This was of course, before internet, and before getting to know the International Hippopotamus Society. Now my collection is growing at a somewhat alarming rate... making me run out of space, and making future moves more challenging. As I love ceramics very much, I am thinking about steering my collection more in that direction.  But then I see my glass ones and my hand carved wooden ones, making me change my mind quickly, about finding those a new home. Obviously, I am not yet ready. I know this sweet looking mini hippo (Riconada De Rosa, Montevideo, Uruguay) will be in my collection forever. Ceramic and bling? Not much can top that!  

Anama

It crossed my mind to name my newest addition (Red Mega Hippo) to my bloat: Annemarijn, after the designer, creator, and owner of www.anama.nl. Having looked at its cute face for a while, I thought Anama fitted better. While looking for anything hippo in The Netherlands on line, I found a picture of this red hippo first, then found the designer's website, and only then noticed the company's logo being a hippo! How could I not support this company?

 

 

 

 

 

My daughter's first comment: "Aww, how cute... but mom, you said that you are not collecting hippo plushies anymore?" "Well sweetie, this is NOT a plushie, this is an accessory for your home, made by a famous Dutch Designer." She gave me "the look".... in this case it meant: "keep talking and fooling yourself, I am not buying it". The funny thing is that she loves sitting next to it on the sofa, playing with its head, prompting me to remind her to be careful with my "home accessory" :-). Also the cats love to cuddle up next to Anama.

 

 

According to a statement on her website, her products are designed with the purpose of creating a smile on people's faces.  Dear Annemarijn, just to let you know: Mission Accomplished!

Hug-Lovin' Hippo from Hallmark

From the very first second, these hippos touched the shelves in the Hallmark stores... a buzz could be heard in the hippo collectors group. Also, some colleagues told my husband they had seen a hippo. It is not surprising, because a huge Hallmark store can be found just around the corner from the office. I thought I was doing a great job... not giving in to the urge to buy it. Repeating the "no more plushy hippo" mantra. Even passed the shop a few times... just pretending I did not see it! Till a box was delivered shortly before Valentine's day.... all wrapped in pretty pink tissue paper... there she was! Wiggling her cute hippo butt, asking for a hug! If you want to see and hear her: please click: Hallmark Hippo. 

Thank you Sheila and John, for the cutest hippo ever. She makes me melt a little, every time I see her. She is the embodiment of Hippo-Happiness... you can never have too much of that!

 

Hippo Cupcake

Not very tasty, but super cute! As all hippo lovers know, it is always fun to look for hippos, well... anywhere... especially on the internet. It is amazing what you can find. Sometimes the most strange and unexpected hippos... but always ones that make you smile... like this one I found on Pinterest: Crochet Amigurumi hand-picked by Pinner, made by Mriek. To be honest, the original picture shows a cow and a horse too... but they will have to find their way to another blog. I love those colored sprinkles on its head.... the icing on the.... hippo!

 

ZORTZ

Zortz was found at a local Arts and Crafts Fair, last fall. Of course, he comes with a little story. If you collect something, you will know this feeling. First, the excitement of seeing a stand or display where you suspect you will be able to find, whatever it is that you are looking for. Then the few moments of eagerness, looking at least twice at everything (just to be sure, imagine overlooking it!), followed by disappointment if you are not lucky, or excitement if you do find it. I think, the seller (Max Gyllenhaal) saw my disappointed face... "What are you looking for?" he asked me. "A hippo...." I answered, with a slight sigh. That sigh would translate in "you probably are going to tell me, you do not have a hippo, which I already know, because if you had, it would be out there..." I did not expect to hear: "I do have a hippo, I am not sure if I brought it with me today, let me check." "Huh?" I never expected that. And there it was... Zortz was found! Although each creation of this artist is called Zortz, I think it is the perfect name for a very cool looking hippo!

 

His card reads: The gift of grab. I am Zortz. I am made from foam latex rubber and given the power of speech through the household tool, the clothespin. Squeeze the clothespin behind my head and I will open my mouth to hold notes, toothbrushes, keys and more! Each Zortz is handmade by Max in Brooklyn, N.Y. Max Gyllenhaal.

Check out the website, and get your ZORTZ !

Skinny Hippo?

Once in a while, a "surprise-something-hippo" find its way into my mailbox. A few weeks ago, that surprise came all the way from the Provence, France, wrapped in a bright red envelope. The cutest magnet, reading: Mon régime commence toujours le même jour: demain, which translates to: My diet always starts the same day: tomorrow. I think it is a very appropriate for hippos. To me, skinny hippos do not make sense at all! Dear Anneke and Hans, thank you so much for thinking about me, and making me smile. Oh, and before I forget, I think Buurman needs a "hippo-dress-up-suit", just let me know his size! LOL
 

Taweret

Not any blog about hippos would be complete without featuring Taweret, a goddess looking (mostly) like a hippo. I was able to order the image (AN31767001) from the British Museum, (London, United Kingdom) through a wonderful service it provides. I am very proud to be able to share this amazing photograph with the museum's permission.

 

Next to it, I have made a copy of the description, as it can be found on the museum's website, followed by the link, connecting you directly to the home page of the British Museum.

Breccia statue of the goddess Taweret

From Egypt
Late Period, after 600 BC

A household deity

Taweret was a fierce goddess who protected the mother and child during childbirth. Unlike most goddesses, she had no human elements, consisting instead of the head and body of a hippopotamus, the tail of a crocodile and the legs of a lioness. All these creatures were renowned for aggressively protecting their young.

Births usually took place inside the home, so Taweret was considered a household deity. No large-scale temples were dedicated to the goddess, instead figures of her were placed on the household altar that was part of every home. These figures were amulets and guaranteed the protection of the goddess against malign forces that might threaten the household, especially its children. These statues were generally small and often made of wood or clay.

Larger statues of Taweret are unusual as stone statues on a monumental scale were generally placed within temples.

 

 

 

Kings, and later private individuals, sometimes dedicated statues of deities, or of themselves holding deities, to show their devotion to a god. The dedication of a figure of Taweret might have been to gain her favour in a forthcoming birth, or in thanks for her intervention in a recent one.

A. Siliotti (ed.), Viaggiatori veneti alla scoper (Venezia, Arsenale editrice, 1985)

With special thanks to the British Museum.

Schleich 2012

Schleich is a German company founded by Friedrich Schleich in 1935. It is producing toy figurines and accessories. For hippo collectors, Schleich hippos are not very difficult to find. I have quite a number of them in my collection. A few days ago, I added another one. A gift from a dear friend, visiting from the Netherlands, who is (bless him) always on the lookout for anything hippo for me (see posts: Marius, Inkognito and The Choir). At first glance, it looked like one I already have, a hippo made in 1996, but after looking closer, I noticed they made quite some changes, and absolutely for the better! First of all, the color changed from grey to a much more realistic brown. Also the shape of the nose (new one is wider) is much better. With nicer and more detailed upper teeth, better shaped legs and nicer eyes, it is clear the designers of the company really paid attention. It took them a few years, but they went from producing an OK hippo, to producing a wonderful hippo. Job well done!  

 

 

Obaysch

Before I will copy the information as it can be found on Wikipedia, about a hippopotamus called Obaysch, I will have to thank a fellow hippo-lover: Gail Stewart Rumsey. She was so kind to share this story in the group on Facebook: Hippolotofus.

 

Texts and photographs: Wikipedia (direct link) with special thanks to Gail for sharing this wonderful and very interesting "Hippopotamus-History" story.

Crowds look on as Obaysch rests in the London Zoo in this 1852

photograph taken by Juan, Count of Montizón

 

 

"Obaysch (1849? - 11 March 1878) was the first hippopotamus seen in Great Britain since prehistoric times, and the first time in Europe since Ancient Rome. He was captured on an island on the White Nile when he was less than one year old. His name is derived from the name of the island.

 

The Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, Abbas Pasha, agreed with the British Consul General, Sir Charles Augustus Murray (later known as "Hippopotamus Murray") to swap Obaysch and some other exotic animals for some greyhounds and deerhounds.

 

 Obaysch was sent by boat down the Nile to Cairo, accompanied by a herd of cows to provide him with milk. He was sent by P&O steamer to Southampton, and he arrived at London Zoo on 25 May 1850. He was an instant sensation in London, attracting up to 10,000 visitors each day, and spawning a trade in hippo memorabilia and even a Hippopotamus Polka. The number of visitors to the Zoo in 1850 was double the previous year.

 

Abbas Pasha sent a second hippo to London, a female named Adhela who arrived on 22 July 1854. After a wait of over 16 years, the pair finally produced offspring in 1871, but the calf died after 2 days. A second calf died the following year, but a third, born on 5 November 1872, survived. It was a female named Guy Fawkes. Adhela survived Obaysch by 4 years, dying on 16 December 1882. Guy Fawkes died on 20 March 1908.

 

Obaysch once escaped from captivity in London Zoo and according to legend a keeper was used as bait to lure him back into his enclosure."

 

Adhela and Guy Fawkes

 

 

 Hippopotamus Polka sheet-music cover

Snake Show Hippo

How would you explain a child of a hippo-loving mom, loving snakes? The good thing is that nobody can accuse me of brainwashing my child. Needless to say, I am not into snakes at all.... A few months ago, a reptile show was being held close to where we live. If it wasn't for my daughter, I would never even have considered going to visit an exhibition like that. We found ourselves in a huge sports hall filled with hundreds of vendors. We saw a lot of lizards, geckos, chameleons and frogs, but they were far outnumbered by snakes. I had never seen so many snakes in my life! Truth be told, some snakes looked very pretty. Not "let's-take-one-home" pretty, though. Of course I speak for myself. My daughter wanted to buy all of them. Besides frozen rats and mice, live crickets and cozy tanks, there were a few other animal related items for sale. Mainly jewelry. So while the rest of the family was admiring the endless rows of snake filled boxes,  I looked around to see if they did sell something else other than sparkling lizard necklaces or snake shaped ear rings. And there... in the middle of it all... a glass hippo. Smiling and calling my name. Apparently, there must be an obvious connection between snakes and or reptiles.... and hippos?

Hurtling Hippos

Did you ever buy a birthday card for yourself? I did. A long time ago, I saw this card and simply had to have it. And yes... to keep it, not to sent it. Google does not come up with a lot, when searching for the artist: Dennis Grass Designs in combination with the printing company: Paperclip Holland. Not very surprising as this card was printed in 1994... only three years into my hippo collecting adventure... now 21 years ago! The card itself is huge (29 cm x 21 cm, or 11,4 inch x 8,3 inch). The front reads: Een denderende verjaardag, which translates into: A hurtling birthday. Then you open the card, and many more hippos can be seen on both sides. The right side reads: van harte gefeliciteerd, which means: happy birthday. I can't help but feeling a little bit like it is my birthday, when looking at this card. I wish I had bought more cards... and that the artist would still make these: best birthday cards ever!

 

Front

 

Dennis Grass Design - Paperclip Holland 1994

 

 

Inside left and Inside right

 Back

You're Beautiful

Speaking of a weird conversation. My friend was telling me "I have this poster at home, hanging in my living room... I have had it for a very long time. I think they might be hippos." Really??? You are telling me, that you think they might be hippos? Frightened by the look I gave her, on line she went... to find out that indeed... what she has prominently hanging on her wall, are two adorable hippos! Even Wiki states that the subject the artist Peter Smith is most known for is a striped rotund creature with the form of a hippopotamus, but the stripes of a zebra. She told me that when she saw it, she fell in love with it right away. Like, I would not know what she is talking about. Honestly, what are the odds meeting somebody who likes hippos too (outside the Hippopotamus Society, of course)? In many of my blog posts, I talk about my theory that hippos contribute to world peace. I have another theory: people loving hippos must be lovely people. My dear friend Anneke (see post Hippe Pottamus) and now Tracy (see post: Lady Tracy), are living proof of that statement. Dear Tracy, I already told you, the universe has long been working on us meeting each other. We are all so happy to have you in our lives. Thank you for introducing me to the work of this wonderful artist and yes: You're Beautiful!

 

 

Peter Smith - You're Beautiful

 

 Please visit the website of the artist: Peter Smith