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It's no secret that Steiffgal is simply bananas over Steiff's legacy Jocko the chimp pattern. This happy go lucky primate has been a collector's favorite since its introduction in 1909 - and for good reason! Steiffgal saw today's featured guest listed on an online auction platform in Europe and knew she had to have him. After a few ups and downs, he finally arrived in the USA and was even better than photographed and described. Take a look at this ray of sunshine - literally!
Here's a tip - this Jocko is off the charts great! He measure 30 cm sitting and is fully jointed. He has the design's traditional very long arms and bended at the knee legs. His hands, feet, face, and ears are made from felt. He comes to life with oversized brown and black glass pupil eyes set in eye pocket, a large, open, felt lined mouth, painted features and nostrils, and a white mohair chin. And you can't help but notice his outstanding fabric. He is made from bright orange tipped mohair. This coloration is very prominent on his body and joints and less so on his head and arms. His fading probably happened because of exposure to sunlight, as well as natural fading that occurs with dyes and natural fibers. It is also possible that his torso is less faded because he was wearing clothing that protected these areas from the elements. Only he knows for sure!
Jolly Jocko retains his long trailing "f" button and traces of his yellow ear tag as his Steiff IDs. This is helpful, somewhat, in dating him. The long trailing "f" button appeared from around 1906-1935, and the prewar yellow ear tag appeared around 1934. If you overlay those two data points, they suggest that orange tipped Jocko was most likely "born" in 1934 or 1935.
Colorfully tipped mohair was a prominent design feature starting in the mid-1920s through the early to mid 1930s. Some models of Happy, Teddy Clown, and Petsy featured eye-catching brown tipped mohair. Fluffy the cat is famous for her teal eyes and blue-purple tipped coat, while Bully the bulldog made a name for himself with his orange tipped detailing. Molly the puppy was produced with brown, red, green, or blue tipped mohair, and examples of Charly the King Charles Spaniel with bright orange tipped mohair appear occasionally on the secondary market. Some 1920s rabbits were produced in surreal, tipped hues. and even some field and forest animals sported this distinctive fabric as well.
As far as Steiffgal can see, there is no specific mention of an orange tipped Jocko in any of the standard Steiff reference books. All of his IDs and detailing put him in at the tail end of "the golden age of tipping" at Steiff. However, Jocko monkeys are among the most popular and prolific designs in the Steiff line. Given they've been in production since practically the turn of last century, it would be nearly impossible to capture all of his different versions and variations - especially all the different fabrics he's sported over the years. For example, in her own personal collection, Steiffgal has otherwise undocumented versions of this chimp in artificial silk plush, wool plush, cotton plush, and other woolen combinations - among others! It would be possible to have a collection of just Steiff Jocko monkeys given the enormous range of their appeal, individual personalities, and of course, material presentation.
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