Would you climb every mountain to have a marvelous antique St. Bernhard dog in your Steiff collection? These delightful, hard working, and loyal companions made their Steiff company debut in 1904 and have been a key dog breed in the line ever since. Check out this great example which climbs to new heights with its fabulous presentation and great set of wheels. He'd be happy to come to your rescue anytime!
This pretty pooch is standing, about 15 cm tall and 22 cm wide, and unjointed. He is made from tan mohair with a brown patched-in fanny, head, and ears. His stitched-down ears are lined in felt. His tail is fluffy and somewhat oversized. His face comes to life with brown and black glass pupil eyes, a brown hand embroidered nose and mouth, and a lightly trimmed muzzle. He has a non-working squeaker in his belly. St. Bernhard rides upon two metal axles connected to four concentric, green painted wooden wheels. His leather collar and wooden barrel are not original to him, but seem appropriate, given his tasks at hand. This fine St. Bernhard example retains his long trailing "f" button in ear and traces of his white ear tag as his Steiff IDs.
Steiff produced this eye-catching design on the go in 11 sizes ranging from 12 to 99 cm overall from 1904 through 1927. Given the huge number of sizes made, and the length of time this model appeared in the line, certain design element updates were noted over time. These included having an open mouth versus a closed one (the earliest ones had open mouths) and the type of wheels (metal on the earliest, wooden from the 19-teens onward.) This particular model under discussion here today, given its IDs and wooden wheels, probably dates from the early 1920s. Here on the left you can see Steiff's print ad for this great pattern in 1912. The image is from Ayers and Harrison's Advertising Art of Steiff, Teddy Bears and Playthings; you can click on it to make it larger if you want to read the product details.
And don't worry if this fine fellow has you seeing spots, too. Steiffgal has also noted that the brown and tan patching on the body migrates a bit, with the brown patch appearing in a number of locations, perhaps in relation to the dog's size. Here on the left you can see the same St. Bernhard dog model on metal wheels with the patching on his side. This handsome hound probably dates from the early turn of last century.
Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this lovely and popular prewar dog design has been a tail-wagging experience for you.
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