Rolling Out The Red Carpet For This Royal Steiff Mouse!

With all the awards shows and Superbowl programming going on right now, Steiffgal figured it was about time to roll out the red carpet, Steiff style! And who better to grace such a walkway then true royalty. Check out this tiny but terrific Steiff princess, and see what makes her so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.  

Most Steiff collectors would want this mouse in their house! Here we have Steiff's Royal Mouse. She is based on Steiff's standard line Pieps mouse, which was produced from 1958 to 1978 in gray or white. This Pieps is 8 cm, unjointed, and made from white mohair which has been lightly airbrushed with brown on her back and the sides of her face. Her feet, hands, tail, and ears are made from thick white felt which has been highlighted with a touch of pink airbrushing. Her face is detailed with tiny black button eyes, a black bead nose, lots of clear monofilament whiskers, and a hand embroidered black mouth, highlighted with a spot of pink to show her lips (or to perhaps indicate lipstick in this particular edition?!) 

And just what makes her Royal? Check out her wonderful, heavy, gold plated crown, which is bejeweled with four faux diamonds and one large faux ruby.This headpiece so large and heavy, it is actually sewn onto the back of her head. You can see how that was done on the picture on the left. And you certainly cannot "es-cape" Royal's wonderful red silken cape! It is lined in cream colored silken material and ties with a long gold cord. Royal Mouse was made in this size only from 1965 to 1966 as an exclusive for the upscale US toy retailer FAO Schwarz.
 

Royal Pieps Mouse was one of the earliest specialty dressed mice sold exclusively through FAO Schwarz. This beloved series really started in 1962 with the introduction of two new play sets for kids: a country mouse house, and a city mouse house. Both were portable little dollhouses made from plywood that came fully appointed with furniture and household accessories. These sets appeared in the line until 1972. The country mouse house was detailed in more of a "rural style", while the city mouse house was more "upscale." These sets, which were actually constructed and assembled at FAO Schwarz, each came with one dressed Steiff Pieps mouse. The dressed mice from these sets proved so popular that soon many new models were introduced in the 1965 through 1973 time frame. In addition to Royal Pieps, these adorably attired mice included a ballerina, bride (shown on the left) and groom, princess, clown, Hawaiian dancer, Senorita, ball queen, Little Red Riding Hood, and a Miss America Mouse.  The outfits of many of these marvelous mice were lovingly made by hand from lengths of lace, ribbons, and silky materials.
 

It is interesting to note that Royal Pieps Mouse was not the first crown-wearing Steiff exclusive at FAO Schwarz. Perhaps her design was inspired by the toy store's Royal Dally Dalmatian, who appeared in the line in 1963 only. Royal Dally is pictured here on the left. This princely pup is 14 cm and made from white mohair which is playfully marked with black airbrushed spots. His ears are black mohair. He is in the "begging" position and is head jointed. His face is detailed with black button eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. And, like Royal Pieps, his lips are also highlighted with a little touch of red airbrushing.  Both Royal Pieps and Dally wear similarly styled golden crowns and red capes. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Royal Pieps Mouse has added a crowning touch to your day.

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.  

Getting "Sassy" Over A New Children's Book Featuring Vintage Steiff Animals!

Extra, extra, read all about it!  Steiff animals have a long tradition of appearing as characters in beloved children's books.  And why might that be?  Well, besides being totally adorable and photographing well, these dear plush creatures were designed as friends for life...  and a big part of being a kid is enjoying a good bedtime story!  It goes without saying Steiffgal was more than delighted to learn about a just-published tale that features some of our most favorite button-in-ear buddies!  The book is titled Sassafrass Jones And The Search For A Forever Home, and is the story of a sweet Pekingese dog and how just the right environment, and friends, can make all the difference.  Without giving away the story, let's take a look at the book and see what makes it so interesting from the Steiff lover's perspectives.

Good things come in threes, and there is a trifecta of distinctive Steiff highlights associated with the story.  The first, of course, is that it stars some of Steiff's most beloved characters from primarily the 1950's thorough the 1970's.  The authors have dressed these friends to the nines in fine couture, hats, and jewelry, and photographed them in remarkably detailed, doll house scaled settings to tell their story. In order of appearance, the story's Steiff cast of characters includes:

• Wittie Owl, whoooo (yes, pun intended) was produced in 10, 14, 22, and 35 cm from 1954 through 1977.
• Dressed Pieps mice, who were produced from 1962 through 1970 in a variety of outfits, including a bride, ballerina, princess, clown, Red Riding Hood, and Miss America, in 8 cm.
• Diggy badger, who was produced in 10 and 15 cm from 1959 through 1966.
• Bib the dressed rabbit boy, who was produced in 12 cm from 1954 through 1964.
• Possy squirrel, who was produced in 10, 14, and 22 cm from 1957 through 1976.
• Nagy beavers, who were produced in 10, 17, and 25 cm from 1958 through 1978; two from the book are pictured above on the left.
• Perri squirrel, who was produced in 12, 17, and 22 cm from 1959 through 1983.
• Goldie hamster, who was produced in 10 and 14 cm from 1955 through 1974.
• Nelly snail, who was produced in 10 cm from 1961 through 1963.
• Maxi mole, who was produced in 12 and 15 cm from 1964 through 2001.
• Nightcap Rabbits, who were produced in 15 cm between 1968 and 1973. 

The second interesting Steiff consideration with Sassafrass Jones And The Search For A Forever Home is how it fits into the continuum of publications featuring the brand.   Perhaps the first book that specifically used Steiff bears as part of its tale was Mr. Cinnamon Bear by Sara Tawney Lefferts, who published her work in 1907.  

Since then, Steiff animals have taken center stage in many classic children's stories.  An early example is The Perfect Zoo, which was written by Elanor Farjeon, illustrated by Katy Kruse, and published in 1929.  This story is like a late 1920's Steiff catalog time capsule, as it features many delightful Steiff animals from that period including Molly, Bully, Rabinette, and Petsy, among others.  The late 1950's brought readers - and collectors - Lost Bear, written by Ann Durell with photographs by Desmond Russell, and Magic Night for Lillibet, written and photographed by Gerry Turner with drawings by Ralph Owen.  Lost Bear tells the story of a Steiff bear finding his way home thanks to the help of group of Steiff friends, while Magic Night for Lillibet tells the story of a little girl and her quest to find her missing Steiff giraffe.  More recently, Daisy C.S. Spedden's 2001 book Polar the Titanic Bear tells the story of the Titanic disaster through the eyes of a Steiff polar bear.

Perhaps the most beloved "literary" Steiff character of all is the company's Jackie, who was the “Little Bear” character from Dare Wright’s legendary series of children’s books from the late 1950s. A photo from this series is pictured here on the left; Jackie is on the far left.  Wright's first book, The Lonely Doll, made the New York Times children’s books bestseller list in 1957. In November 2010, The British Newspaper The Guardian named The Lonely Doll one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of all time.  

Last but hardly least, the third important thing Steiff enthusiasts need to know about this book is that it was co-authored by a passionate and lifelong Steiff collector and animal lover!  Cathleen Smith Bresciani, from the Atlanta, Georgia area wrote the book with her long time colleague Richard Eldredge.  Steiffgal contacted Cathleen to hear more about this project and her interest in Steiff.  It turns out that the authors are donating the proceeds from the sale of this book a number of nonprofit organizations including Canine Companions for Independence and The Humane Society of New York.  Steiffgal gives that initiative two thumbs, or in this case paws, up. Here's more of what she learned...

Steiffgal:  Tell us about the history of your interest in Steiff animals and a little bit about your personal Steiff collection.

CSB:
Today, I have over 400 vintage Steiff items in my collection.  I first was introduced to Steiff at the age of six, by my best friend who had a magnificent collection of Steiff animals. She also gave me my first Steiff! It was love at first sight! I purchased my first Steiff item on my own when I was 11, it was a hedgehog, and I got it at FAO Schwarz.  That's a day I will never forget!

Steiffgal:
What is your favorite item in your Steiff collection, and why? 

CSB:
My favorite Steiffs have always been the Pieps mice, especially the ones who were sold wearing dresses and costumes for FAO Schwarz in the 1960's. My sister and I received the Steiff City and Country mouse houses for Christmas in 1967.  These were "dollhouse" sized little homes that were fully furnished and designed for play and imaginative fun.  I've been smitten ever since with their magic.

Steiffgal:
How did you come up with the idea of transforming your lifelong hobby into a children's book?

CSB:
A friend of mine who is a top art dealer in Atlanta suggested that I create a book with my collection, she thought it to be too special not to share with the public!  I am really thankful for her mentorship, and that I followed through on her advice!

Steiffgal:
How did you choose the specific Steiff animals in the book for the characters?

CSB:
I placed a few Pieps mice next to a gingerbread house in my kitchen and shot some rough photos with my iPad and thought... this is really adorable! As the story developed, I chose animals that I felt best suited the characters.  For example, I used Steiff's Wittie as Mr. Spotswood the adoption center director.  A kindly and wise owl would know that Sassafrass Jones would succeed!

Steiffgal:
What's next for Sassafrass Jones? Will we be seeing more of her and her Steiff friends in the future?

CSB:  
Yes, we are working on the next story! The next book is all about Sassafrass' adventures in Manhattan.  There she befriends all sorts of wonderful and exotic creatures! Many of my fashionably dressed Steiff treasures will be featured prominently in this book along with the city and ballerina Pieps, maybe even a few bride mice! One of the mice characters will discover she has a bat cousin who is a top decorator named Boysenbery - Boysee for Short!

Steiffgal:
Cathleen, thank you so much for your time and bringing many of the vintage Steiff community's favorite characters to life! 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion about the new book Sassafrass Jones and Steiff's history of storybook illustrations has been a very good read for you.

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures, family or otherwise? Let's talk! Click here to learn more. 

Every House Needs A Steiff Mouse!

There's no mousing around when it comes to solving Steiff mysteries!  And here is an interesting one that appears to come from the United Kingdom.  Take a look at this inquiry from Sarah, who wants to know more about her larger-than-life Steiff mouse.  She writes in part....

"Hi! 

I really enjoyed reading your web page... and I thought that maybe I'd finally found someone who could answer my question.

I have a large (30 cm) Cosy Fiep Mouse. He's bright yellow and was probably purchased from Harrod's sometime in the late 1980's or early 1990's.  His ear tag number is 5388/30.

Here's my confusion. When I look him up on any reference site his tag says he's meant to be green. I've tried time and time again to find any reference to a yellow mouse but I've failed.  And, the more I look into my mouse, the more it appears he wasn't meant to be this colour. I'm wondering if it was a factory error... or a sample... or... I don't know!

Best regards,
Sarah"

Steiff's Fiep mouse in grey

Mice can be nice, and this is big buddy is certainly proof of that.  What we have here is Steiff's Cosy Fiep Maus or Mouse.  A grey version of Fiep is pictured here on the left. Steiff uses the word "cosy" to describe a product that is soft, well constructed, and in general made as a child's plaything.  Fiep is simply constructed from plush; he has an oversized body and a long tail.  His face is detailed with a large black plush nose and black button eyes.  His ears are lined in contrasting colored soft fur.  This particular design was in the line overall from 1980 through 2003.  He was produced in 15, 30, 45, and 80 cm and appeared in white, grey, blue, violet, olive green, golden yellow, aubergine (which is like eggplant), and yellowish olive green over time.  This general design was also produced as a 15 cm musical mouse in red or white from 1985 through 1996.

Let's clear up any big confusion on this little guy.  Steiff has made thousands and thousands of items since the company's founding in the late 1800's.  And it is impossible for any website or reference book, or even official records to capture every single item in every single color and size.  And that probably is the reason for Sarah's confusion over the color and tag number of her mouse.  However, this item, with tag number 5388/30, IS noted (but not pictured) in the 1947-2003 Steiff Sortiment book, and is briefly described as "a 30 cm golden yellow Fiep mouse, produced from 1986 through 1988." If he were olive green, his tag number would be 5392/30.  

Although most collectors don't want REAL mice in their homes, few can resist including a few mice in their Steiff hugs.  They take up very little space, are adorable, and are great for adding a bit of humor and interest to displays and holiday vignettes.  Mice have been part of the Steiff line since the debut catalog in 1892.  The earliest Steiff mice were 4 cm, on all fours, and made from grey or white felt.  This same design was also produced on a colored felt pad as a pin cushion or an ink pen wiper.  Mice were also produced as 4 cm woolen miniatures in grey, white, and brown from 1931 through 1943; and again in grey and white from 1949 through 1984. The picture to the left shows two examples of Steiff's woolen miniature mice:  the white one is post-war while the grey one is pre-war.   

Perhaps the most beloved and collectible Steiff mouse is Pieps, who appeared in the line from 1958 through 1978.  Pieps is 8 cm, made from mohair, and begging; he came in white and grey.  His petite and precious details include a long felt tail, tiny black or red eyes, prominent whiskers, and a precious, "feed me" look.  During the 1970's, the high end toy store FAO Schwarz would dress up Steiff's Pieps mouse in wonderful and imaginative costumes, including a bride, princess, clown, hula dancer, and Miss America, among many others.  These dressed mice are highly desired amongst collectors.  Today, groups of Pieps are regularly featured in the delightful streetside windows of the fantastic Spielzeug Welten Museum in Basel, Switzerland - where they are dressed to the nines to complement the story theme of the museum's seasonal displays.  The photo on the left shows a detail of the museum's Christmas display (featuring Pieps!) from a few years ago.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff mice has been more than nice!

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.