Isn't she lovely? Although all Steiff creatures are made with TLC and an eye towards appeal and realism, some also have that "X" factor - there's just something simply elegant about them. Such is the case with this lovely prewar field and forest friend. Check out this fantastic fawn and see what makes her so delightful from the design and product evolution perspectives.
There's no doubt you'll be fawning over this lovely, long legged rarity! Here we have Steiff's 17 cm fawn. She is standing and unjointed. Her body is made from tan mohair, while her legs from the thighs down are made from tan velvet. This has darkened a bit over time, which often is the case with older velvet fabric. Her face is detailed with expressive black button eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. She has a touch of red to indicate her lips as well. Her ears are pert and triangular shaped. Her legs are especially graceful and angular. and have a touch of black airbrushing to indicate her feet. Fawn was made in 17 and 22 cm from 1934 through 1943 overall. She has a charming and distinctively old fashioned look to her. Although her Steiff button has been lost to time, she would have left the factory with either a long or short trailing "f" style Knopf, depending on her specific year of manufacture.
This velvet legged fawn design was introduced at a very turbulent time in history. Due to evolving geopolitical and financial realities, it goes without saying that things were not so good in Germany from the 1930s through the end of World War II. This impacted Steiff in countless ways and the company had to be extremely strategic in the ways it conducted its business just to stay afloat.
One thing that collectors can track pretty closely is the company's use of different fabrics during that time. In the mid-1930s, Steiff introduced this mohair female fawn with velvet legs, as well as a 35 cm mohair male roebuck with velvet legs. He only appeared in the line from 1936-1938. Both are pictured here on the left, hanging out with the wonderful felt doll Snik the gnome. The image is from the company's 1938 product catalog. Using a German marks to US dollar converter, and then an inflation calculator, it is interesting to note that the roebuck would cost the equivalent of about $40.61, the 17 cm fawn would cost the equivalent of about $22.97, and the 22 cm fawn would cost the equivalent of about $28.12 in 2020.
It is Steiffgal's best guess that the pair's debut and design were carefully planned and took into consideration unreliable supply chain issues as well as economics. Given the scarcity and price of mohair during this time, Steiffgal suspects that velvet was used on the legs instead of mohair in both designs in part as a cost and material saving effort. Fortunately, from the aesthetic perspective, velvet does help give the deer's legs a very shapely and elegant presentation.
Given how "deerly" beloved its prewar fawn pattern was, Steiff began producing it again once the factory reopened for toy making business in the late 1940s. The basic design was tweaked just a bit and was made in 17 and 22 cm, first in artificial silk plush in 1948-1949 and then in wool plush from 1949-1953. In 1954, Steiff completely updated its fawn pattern, producing it mohair in 14, 17, and 22 cm through 1978 overall. Like their earlier relatives, these charming, more modern looking deer also had black eyes, but were now chunkier and overall less shapely, and were decorated with a little white stitch across their nose. You can see the 14 cm version of the updated post war designed fawn here on the left.
Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this prewar mohair and velvet deer has made a material difference in your day today!
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Given how "deerly" beloved its prewar fawn pattern was, Steiff began producing it again once the factory reopened for toy making business in the late 1940s. The basic design was tweaked just a bit and was made in 17 and 22 cm, first in artificial silk plush in 1948-1949 and then in wool plush from 1949-1953. In 1954, Steiff completely updated its fawn pattern, producing it mohair in 14, 17, and 22 cm through 1978 overall. Like their earlier relatives, these charming, more modern looking deer also had black eyes, but were now chunkier and overall less shapely, and were decorated with a little white stitch across their nose. You can see the 14 cm version of the updated post war designed fawn here on the left. 