What A Pretty And Petite Steiff Prewar Pup!

Good things come in small packages. Especially when those things are button-in-ear. Check out this absolutely darling, pint-sized pup Steiffgal just recently added to her collection. He is a little known example from a long legacy of Steiff's prewar Fox Terrier production. Blink and you would have missed him!

What we have here is a seldom seen version of Steiff's late 1920s era Foxy Fox Terrier. He is 10 cm tall, sitting, head jointed, and made from white mohair. He has very distinctive jet black mohair ears. His face comes to life with proportional brown and black glass pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and black airbrushing around one eye. He also has traces of black airbrushed highlights around the base of his tail. He wears his original silken ribbon and jingle bell. He retains his prewar styled, red imprinted named chest tag as his Steiff ID. This darling doggie was produced in 10, 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1929-1933 overall. He is pictured here on the left, and a close up of his named chest tag is below. 

Fox Terriers are one of Steiff's earliest dog breeds. They made their debut in the Steiff line in 1899, just a handful of years after the company's commercial catalog launch in 1892. The earliest ones were made from felt or velvet. Typical to the period, Steiff's debut Fox Terrier came on metal wheels and was made from felt. Mohair became available on a commercial scale in 1903 and shortly after, a broad range of mohair Fox Terriers graced the pages of the Steiff catalog. 

The late 1920s could be thought of as a "best of show" period for Steiff's Fox Terriers. In 1928 and 1929, the company designed and manufactured two brand new mohair examples that were simply irresistible. All had two solid black mohair ears; rounded, puppy like body proportions; and impish personalities. The first of course, was the one under discussion today. He was also produced standing in 10, 14, 17, 20, and 22 cm through 1933. Another "Foxy" pattern had darling and distinctive airbrushed lines on his forehead and a pert, red, round felt tongue. It appeared in the line from 1928 through 1933 overall in two versions: standing in 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm and sitting in 14, 17, and 22 cm. Both the sitting and standing versions are pictured above; all images are from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment. 

Steiffgal hopes you found this discussion on this little sitting Fox Terrier has been dog-gone delightful for you. 

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