Talk about a rare hare... combined with LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! That's was exactly Steiffgal's reaction when it came to an absolute rarity she spotted on eBay recently. Take a look at this remarkable little Steiff prewar rabbit... and just try not to fall in love with it as well!
This tiny guy is a super cool bunny made as a woolen miniature, but with mohair detailing. He is pictured here on the left and the photo is from ebay. According to the eBay listing, he is a..."Rare Steiff Wool Rabbit is approximately 5 inches high. Has mohair ears with underscored FF button. Glass eyes. 1935-1939." Additionally, he is lined in wires and is poseable, probably head jointed, and detailed with glass pupil eyes and a small painted mouth. Steiffgal suspects he left the factory in Giengen with clear monofilament whiskers. This happy handful was made in 7 and 10 cm (measured without ears) in light brown and white or all white from 1935-1939 overall.
Steiff's woolen miniatures debuted in the very early 1930s. They were introduced as a low cost, entry level priced line for the company at a challenging economic period. The first woolies were birds and bunnies; their natural forms and shapes were easily interpreted in Nomotta wool pom-poms of different sizes and color combinations. As time went on, Steiff produced more and more elaborate woolen miniatures with greater detailing. These included other materials - like lace and ribbons - and accessories - like perches, voice boxes, and aviaries - in their designs in addition to Nomotta pom-poms.
In the mid 1930s, Steiff made a number of woolen miniatures that included relatively expensive woolen mohair fabric. This material was used to create the ears of several different dogs (including a St. Bernhard, Chin-Chin, and King Charles Spaniel), a few rabbits (including one on skis), and even a really unusual Teddy bear made from long white yarns. Given their elaborate construction, like the rabbit under discussion here today, Steiffgal suspects that the introduction of these "hybrid" mohair/woolen miniatures was Steiff's way of "upscaling" the woolen miniature line a bit. The mohair ears were "stitched into" the core of woolen threads to keep them in place... or at least that is how the mohair ears on the woolen miniature Teddy bear are engineered. You can see this terrific Ted pictured here on the left; he was made in 22 cm from 1936-1938.
Today, it is extremely rare to find Steiff's highly sought after woolen miniatures with mohair features on the secondary market. That is one reason Steiffgal was tickled pink to see this one on eBay. Given their appeal and petite scale, it is very possible that many were "loved to death" and simply lost to time over the years. Steiffgal also suspects that in reality, very few were actually made. The mid- to late 1930s were really tough years in Germany and it is quite probable that supply chain and labor issues really limited the number actually manufactured and sold during that time. And, of course, any enthusiast lucky enough to have one of these absolute rarities in their collection already is probably not in any rush to move it along! It's just supply vs. demand at its finest. Steiffgal hopes this discussion on woolen miniatures with mohair features has been a cheerful earful for you.
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