Keeping It Tru With This Mysterious Prewar Steiff Doll

Hat's off to another great Steiff find! Here we have a lovely prewar Steiff doll that recently joined Steiffgal's hug. Her condition and coloring is stunning, and you can't help but admire her perfectly coordinated outfit - and how well she wears it! But behind this little gal are a number of really big mysteries. Take a look at Trude and see what makes here so intriguing from the product design and historical perspectives.

What we have here is a precious pressed felt faced doll named Trude. She is 35 cm, standing, three ways (head and legs) jointed, and excelsior stuffed. Her face is made from flesh colored felt, while her limbs and trunk are made from flesh colored linen. Her arms are floppy and hang loosely by her sides. Her arms are bent slightly at the elbows, and she has very defined fingers. Her face is highly textured, with chubby cheeks, a realistic mouth, pert nose, and lifelike blue glass eyes embedded in eye sockets. Her facial painting is lovely and done with a gentle hand. Even her little ears are sculpted just like a child's. She is finished with a blond mohair wig, which is seamlessly integrated into her head structure. Trude's IDs include her red rubber bracelet, tan colored tag, and teeny tiny prewar button. You can see her IDs close up in the photo below. 

Trude's outfit is adorable and fits her to a "t". She wears a white cotton "one-sie", which is trimmed with lace around the leg openings and bodice. It has thin little straps which fit over her shoulders to help keep it in place. Her short sleeved white cotton blouse is removable and closes in the back. It is cropped and detailed with red pull strings at the neck and arms. She wears a cotton dress that closes with two metal snaps and is detailed with a ruffle around the waist area. The fabric features yellow, blue, black, white, and green wildflowers on a red background. Her footwear also is removable and consists of white cotton socks and red felt Mary-Jane style shoes. And she retains her original red and yellow wide brimmed hat, which is trimmed and ties with a red silk cord.

Trude is super interesting for number of subtle reasons. Steiff's "pressed felt" face doll line was produced from 1937 through 1943, and then again in 1949 and 1950. Steiffgal cannot locate a c. 1930s-1950s era doll of her construction with that name. The fact that her name was written by hand on her tag suggests that only a few of these dolls with this name were made. But more on that in just a moment! Also of note is her construction. Many to most of these wartime era dolls were made entirely from felt, but this example has a felt head and a linen body and limbs. This may suggest that she was manufactured when fine toy making materials were unavailable or expensive due to wartime rationing or shortages - perhaps in the very 1930s to early 1940s. As a result, matching linen in the place of felt was used instead in less "visible" areas of the doll's anatomy. 

Trude is dressed and resembles one of Steiff's standard line production pressed felt faced dolls named Gretel. Gretel was made in 35 and 43 cm from 1938-1942 overall and is also dressed in a similarly styled red dress with snaps, a white blouse, and red felt shoes with white socks. The most obvious difference between Trude and Gretel in terms of outfits is that Gretel wears a red hairband, and Trude has an oversized felt hat. You can see a picture of Gretel here on the left, the image is from Pfeiffer's Sortiment 1892-1943.

So here is where there are more questions than answers about Trude. Was she made to substitute for Gretel in terms of her materials and construction? Was she perhaps a sample of some sort? Why doesn't she appear in any Steiff materials, as far as Steiffgal can locate? And why does she have a large, glorious felt hat... given the rest of her is constructed to minimize the use of this premier toy making fabric? Well, only she knows for sure... and unfortunately, she's not talking!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's terrific Trude doll has been a playful addition to your day. 

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

It's A Teddy Bear Affair At Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's September 24th, 2022 Steiff Sale!

Is it time to add something really special to your Steiff collection? Of course it is! Then check out the vintage to antique button-in-ear temptations on offer at Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's upcoming Fall Auction. Over 100 carefully curated Steiff treasures go under the hammer on Saturday, September 24th, 2022. The sale offers some breathtaking examples, including several outstanding prewar bears that caught Steiffgal's eye for their rarity and condition. Check out this terrific trio and just try and resist their charms - and backstories!

This first bear highlight can't help but put you in a jolly mood. This is lot #3040, a lovely and distinctly childlike example of Steiff's Happy bear. He has a starting bid of 1,800 euro. This cub is cataloged in part as, "Happy, one of the highlights of the auction, with button, block letters, long trailing f, big glass eyes, pointed mohair, long snapped off arms, clearly hump, 51 cm, here and there places with mohair loss, very expressive, produced 1926-27, small holes at the felt paws, but otherwise beautiful." 

Happy dates from a joyful time in the company's product development history - the mid to late 1920s. It was during this era that several of Steiff's beloved named, novelty bears were introduced. These included Teddy Rose, Teddy Clown, Petsy, Teddy Baby, and of course, Happy! Happy was produced for a short time - from 1926-1927 only - in relatively low numbers. As such, examples are very few and far between on the secondary market. That is one of the reasons that this fine Ted - in an important size and in sweet condition - should catch the eyes of enthusiasts worldwide. FYI: the most famous version of Happy was purchased by an agent for the Volpp family at Sotheby’s in London in 1989 for £50,000 to celebrate a wedding anniversary; the underbidder was the British Royal Family!

It's no joke that original prewar Teddy Clown bears top the wish lists of many vintage Steiff collectors. And this next highlight is really dreamy in many ways. Here we have lot #3050 - a charming and petite brown tipped Steiff Teddy Clown - with an opening bid is 1,300 euro. He is cataloged in part as, "Clown bear, with button, block letters, long trailing f, produced 1926-27, 25 cm, pointed mohair, at 1 felt paw a hole, mohair is except of 1 place at the right shoulder in good condition, very expressive, original hat and ruff, 25 cm." 

This bear's factory original accessories make him one well attired Ted. But, one question that Steiffgal often hears is, "How do you know the hat and ruff on a Teddy clown are original to it?" Here are a few guidelines. First, make sure that the hat and the ruff have equal wear, loss, dust, or other condition issues to each other, and also to the bear. Technically, the bear, hat, and ruff should be the same age. As such, they should all have had the identical display, play, or storage history. If things don't align in terms of wear or loss, it is possible that the accessories are replaced. Steiffgal has also noticed that original Teddy Clown felt hats are stuffed with excelsior and have a cardboard disk at their base. This is to  hold their shape and to secure them in place. Check for these details. And finally, it has been her observation that for the most part, the color of the pom poms on the hat should match the ruff or its trim. If these are not in the same color family, it is possible that some or all of the accessories are not original to the bear.

And finally, this third terrific Ted is one heavy metal favorite. Here we have lot #3055, a fantastic and very early Steiff rod jointed bear.  His bidding starts at 3,500 euro. He is cataloged in part as, "One of the highlights of our auction, with elephant button, shoe button eyes, original sealing wax nose, peach-colored mohair, 5 claws, produced 1904, retouched felt paws at the feet, clearly distinct hump, long snapped off arms, otherwise mohair in very nice condition, extremely expressive, extremely rare in this color."

There's nothing not to love about this extraordinary bear. His color is off the charts great; his deep apricot mohair looks lush and still radiant after all these years. He retains his elephant button  - as if there were any doubts on his origins or brand! His gutta percha nose is like a tiny work of art with its one of a kind shape and traces of his maker's fingerprints. And his excelsior stuffed body has aged so well. Such tight and heavy filling was necessary to hold his heavy, large metal jointing solidly in place in his torso. Hubba, hubba, hubba!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on these museum-quality Steiff cubs has given you the warm and fuzzies!

For more information about Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion upcoming Steiff event on September 24th, please click here!

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

Hat's Off To Steiff's Ever Cheerful Clown Puppets and Dolls!

Steiff continues to bring joy and engagement to collectors all over the world during this ongoing period of social distancing and bad news. Our button-in-ear friends just seem to have a magical way of lifting spirits in a most universal way. In order to keep up this positive energy, Steiffgal wanted to share another happy Steiff treasure with you - the company's delightful Clownie clown as a hand puppet. This cute commedian has been joking around with collectors since his introduction over a half century ago. Take a look at him and just try not to smile!

First a little background on Steiff's playful pranksters, to give you some context for today's "clown chat." Steiff has incorporated clown themes in just about every doll and novelty you can imagine... including ball-dolls (figures with a goofy ball shaped bodies and "normal" limbs), musical figures, pom-pom characters, skittles (perched on wooden pins for a bowling style game), and roly-polys (on half-spheres that wobble about.) From what Steiffgal can tell, the first clown to appear in the Steiff range might have been a 28 cm version with a felt body and colorful felt clothing in 1894. Perhaps the most famous - or perhaps most coveted - antique Steiff clowns are the ones designed by Albert Schlopsnies in the 19-teens as part of his Schlopsnies Circus window displays. 

Now let's send in the clowns regarding today's special guest. Clownie puppet is based on a beloved Steiff doll named Clownie that was produced from 1956 through 1975 in 14, 19, and 43 cm. He was also available as a 120 cm display piece by special order in the mid-1960s. Clownie dolls sported blue pants with red and yellow felt patches, a white or calico shirt, white gloved hands, a black rimmed hat, and oversized black shoes. Here on the left, you can see the 1967 catalog page advertising the nearly lifesized (120 cm = c. 4 feet tall) Clownie studio doll. 

Steiff has a long tradition of producing hand puppets based on its most popular patterns. So it’s no surprise that Clownie doll would be produced as a puppet as well. Clownie puppet is 17 cm, with a molded head and felt body. He is detailed with red mohair hair, a black felt hat, white felt gloves, and a blue felt top with red and yellow patches. This puppet was produced from 1967 through 1976; earlier versions had plastic heads while those from 1974 had PVC heads. The Clownie under discussion here today has a PVC head.

Steiff also produced another clown puppet - but this one is far rarer and lesser known than Steiff's standard line Clownie puppet. In 1962, in order to celebrate F.A.O. Schwarz's 100 year anniversary, Steiff produced a 30 cm otherwise undocumented “Clownie” puppet. This one, pictured here on the left, had a distinctly feminine appearance, but shared many of the same design elements and outfit details as Clownie. Her head was oversized and elaborately painted, and she had wild, long, red mohair hair. Her Steiff chest tag simply said "Clownie." Girl Clownie puppet appeared in the centennial F.A.O. Schwarz catalog in a section titled “Presenting For Our 100th Anniversary One Hundred Unusual Toys Available Only From F.A.O. Schwarz.”

Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed clowning around today, at least for a little bit!

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

This Fantastic Steiff Rarity Takes The Pole Position!

Steiffgal recently got an email question about a Steiff item that literally gave her chills - in the best way possible! Around these parts, the temperature has been averaging about 95 degrees lately, with high humidity, too. So what could be more welcome than a question about a cold weather themed doll! Let's all take a virtual break from this uncomfortable summer heatwave and check out this inquiry from Nils from Norway. Steiffgal thinks you'll agree - his fantastic rarity takes the pole position!

Nils simply asks, "I wonder if you can help me with the value and age on my Steiff skier?  He is 36 cm tall and his button is in his cap."

Pretty cool, eh? From what she can tell from the photos, Nil's doll is standing, fully jointed, and appears to be in the company's earlier "character" doll scale. This means that his limbs, feet, and torso are not in "typical" human proportions, but exceptionally long and narrow in this case. His face is more "cartoonish" than handsome or realistic as seen in Steiff's later doll models. He has blue glass eyes; this feature became standard on Steiff's dolls from the early 19-teens onward. Also typical to his early era is the fact that his felt outfit is integral to his body. Later models often had partially or fully removable clothing. It is interesting to note that his Steiff button is located on his hat. According to Nils, he does not have ears, so this button's location is "closest" to where his button-in-ear would be. (Steiffgal also has a little Steiff Barney Google doll without ears; his button is located the back of his jacket; these "out of place" buttons are seen infrequently but are still original.)

Dolls from the first quarter of last century are also "famous" for their great detailing and accessories, and Nil's skier is a fine example of that. His blue uniform includes perfectly proportional buttons, pockets, and trims. His skis and poles are made from wood and are original to him; the skis are marked "Steiff" on their top face. These are pictured here on the left. Steiff used wood as a material extensively in their product line throughout much of the pre- WWII war era. For example, consider Steiff's fantastic array of early mohair and felt animals on wooden wheels, wooden animal and vehicle pull toys, skittle and roly-poly novelties, and blocks and puzzles. Nil's skier doll is also wearing a backpack. Some of Steiff's soldier and student dolls from the same era also carried satchels, totes, or backpacks, and Steiffgal is all but certain this accessory is original to him. 

There is a blizzard of information about Steiff's winter-themed felt dolls. Children and adult dolls doing sports like skiing and tobogganing, were very popular in the Steiff line from about 1909 through the late 19-teens. Many different skier dolls were made; some came with skis and poles but Steiff also made this perfectly to scale athletic gear available for purchase separately. The company created a number of memorable advertising photographs using this playful outdoor theme; it is suspected that the pictures were posed and shot on or very near the Steiff campus during the winter months. 

The quest to identify this athletic doll left Steiffgal breathless. As for Nil's doll, Steiffgal initially thought he was Steiff's "Norwegian Skier," given his presentation and current residence! According to Pfeiffer, the Norwegian Skier is.... "felt, jointed, Norwegian skier, blue ski suit, cap, and gloves, skis and ski poles, in box." The Norwegian Skier was made in 50 cm and was in the line from 1913-1918. However, a closer look at the Norwegian Skier shows his body is more humanly proportioned (and includes ears!), while Nil's doll is definitely more "character" in form. A little more research suggests that Nil's doll is most likely the company's "Skinny Skier." According to Pfeiffer, the Skinny Skier is... "felt, jointed, very thin shape, complete winter sports outfit." He is also pictured with oversized gloves and a backpack, just like the ones Nil's doll is wearing. The Skinny Skier was made in 40 cm from 1913-1928; Nil's version is a shade shorter but these dolls were all hand made, so slight variations like this are expected. You can see a picture of the Skinny Skier, along with his pal the Fat Skier, here on the left; the photo is from the Cieslik's Button in Ear: The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends. 

It can be a slippery slope when it comes to assessing value on a rarity like this. As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and true valuations can only take place after a careful in person review. Many condition factors, like insect damage, odors, jointing, and internal integrity cannot be captured in photos. However, from what is visible, the doll looks to be in good to very good condition, retaining many of its original details. Given it is as presented, with no significant structural or aesthetic issues, this doll MIGHT sell at auction in the $1,250-$2,500 range. 

Steiffgal thanks you for being a good sport by reading this discussion on this Steiff skier doll!

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

Hat's Off To This Absolutely Amazing Early Steiff Lady Doll!

Hold onto your hat - literally! What Steiffgal has to share with you today just might be head and shoulders above anything that has ever appeared in this blog before! Steiffgal recently had the pleasure of viewing a collection of absolutely outstanding pre-war Steiff dolls. Each was breathtaking in its own way, and she will feature a few in this blog over the coming weeks. She wanted to give the first tip of the hat to this particular one - and after seeing her, you will certainly understand why!

It's a hat-trick when it comes to this lovely Steiff lady. Here we have a magnificent lady doll with an elaborate hat built into her head. She is fully jointed and stands about 42 cm tall; her hat adds another 15 cm or so. She wears fabulous, hand made leather lace up shoes, thigh high socks, a purple felt skirt with orange and green flowers printed on it, a white cotton apron, and a black lace shawl with a matching black lace hanky. Her core body is made from orange felt, and that is how her upper torso appears. Her face comes to life with blue and black glass pupil eyes and very delicately hand painted facial features. 

Her "proper topper," Steiffgal suspects, maybe based on some regional or traditional European design. It is literally built on her head. The core of the hat is made from felt and is stuffed with excelsior. It is trimmed with three bands of brown velvet ribbon. The top and bottom of the hat are made from soft white fabric that has been pleated and folded in the most charming and interesting way possible. She does not have a mohair wig or any indication of painted hair.

There's no question that this doll would be a headliner in any Steiff collection. It is suspected that she was produced in the early to mid 19-teens, given her presentation and materials. After extensive searching, Steiffgal could find no mention of this doll and her remarkable "hat-head" in any of the standard Steiff reference books or materials. However, she was able to locate a photograph of a similar doll sold in 1990 at a Theriault's doll auction; it is shown here on the left and the photos is from Theriault's. It is possible that only a handful of these dolls were produced (the construction is so elaborate and therefore time consuming and expensive), that they were only manufactured in extremely small numbers for a special display, or that she was a prototype of some sort. Any of these factors may in part help explain why there is a dearth of information available about her.

Let's button up this discussion with a quick peek at her ID, which is also quite interesting. It turns out this lovely lady had not one, but TWO small trailing "f" buttons in her left ear. She also has a small hole in her right ear - just the perfect size for yet another button. Although the double buttoning in her left ear could be an accident, her ear is so small, and the button is so well placed, that the second button truly looks intentional. In the past, Steiff used multiple buttons to keep track of which items were samples, prototypes, and versions of items under development. In the 1920's, this usually took the form of a regular button in one ear, and a "muster" button in the other. It is entirely possible that this doll's multiple button system is an early form of this tracking system. Unfortunately, only she knows for sure!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this incredible lady doll has given you something to hang your hat on!

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

Hunting For Clues About This Great Steiff Outdoorsman Bear

Do you have any plans for the upcoming long holiday Memorial Day weekend holiday? Perhaps you might be headed out for a little camping and outdoor fun to kick off the summer season! Well, that's exactly what this little wilderness-loving Steiff cub has in mind as well! Check out this most unusual and well attired bear and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

Let's start hunting for clues about this hearty outdoorsman. He is 22 cm, fully jointed, and made of caramel colored mohair. His sweetly serious face comes to life with a brown hand embroidered nose and mouth and glass pupil eyes. He dons an orange felt cap with a wide brim; a green felt jacket detailed with a small collar, scalloped edging, long fringe, and a laced up front; and tall, faux brown leather boots. When he left the factory in Giengen, he had a wooden hunting rifle suspended from a leather cord tacked onto his shoulder. 

This bear was produced in 1953 and 1954 and is one of Steiff's "Nimrod" Teddy bears.  He was designed and manufactured in honor of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the jointed Teddy bear as we know and love him today.  Also produced at this same time, and for the same reason, was Steiff's far better known "Jackie" style Teddy bear. Jackie, known for her pink nose stitch, distinctive belly button, and impish personality, was made in 17, 25, 35, and 75 cm from 1953 through 1955 only. Like Nimrod Teddies, Jackie bears are exceptionally rare on the secondary market given their appeal, limited production, and their brief time in the line.  A print advertisement featuring these two early, very special edition Teddy bears from 1953 is pictured here on the left.  The photo is from Cieslik's Button in Ear:  The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends.

  

The Nimrod bears were all based on the company's early postwar, newly redesigned "Original Teddy" pattern. This design, which featured a stockier build and shorter limbs than the company's prewar standard line bears, was produced from 1950 through 1966 in 10, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 28, 35, 40, 43, 50, 65, 75, and 100 cm.  Overall, four Nimrod bears - in addition to the one under discussion here today - were produced.  These included a 22 or 50 white version which donned a green cap, an orange felt shirt, and brown boots; a 22 cm gold version which wore a green cap, a brown felt shirt, and brown boots; and a 22 cm caramel version detailed with an orange cap, green scarf, and very tall brown "wader" style boots.  All carried wooden rifles suspended from a leather cord.  You can see a few more of these original Nimrod bears here on the left; the photo is from Cieslik's Button in Ear:  The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends.  

In addition to their well designed outfits, proper footwear, and outdoorsy personalities, Nimrod bears also have distinctive numbering on their yellow ear tags.  The caramel one under discussion today is numbered 5322 N.  This translates into 5=jointed, 3=mohair, 22=22 cm, and N=Nimrod.  You can see this numbering on the picture here on the left. Steiffgal has seen letters after article numbers, but they usually refer to colors or gender of an item, not its actual name.  So this configuration is quite unusual.  

Why would the company produce a series of hunting themed bears in honor of this special golden anniversary? Most collectors are aware that the Teddy bear got its name (and arguably its popularity) from Theodore Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a baby bear cub on on a hunting adventure in Mississippi at the turn of last century.  These Nimrod bears are a gentle nod to that key happening that in its own way helped to place Steiff on the map as a global company. The Nimrod bears and a Steiff likeness of President Roosevelt were featured on the cover of a Steiff brochure commemorating his 100th birthday in 1958.  The photo is from Cieslik's Button in Ear:  The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends.  

And last but not least, what about the name Nimrod? Although Steiffgal cannot unearth anything definite about Steiff's choice of this name, she did discover that this might be a reference to an ancient biblical figure. According to scholars, Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah, who built an ark to save all the animals during the great flood. Nimrod is personally described in the bible as "a mighty hunter."

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's rare Nimrod Teddy bears has you on the hunt for one to add to your collection as well!

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

Taking The Chill Out Of Your Day With This Darling Steiff Snowman Puppet

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas... at least around these parts! This morning, Steiffgal had the unexpected pleasure (or pain, depending on your perspective) of waking up to snow showers in her town! And the white stuff got her thinking about one of her favorite little Steiff oddities that is coming more and more seasonally appropriate each day! Check out this happy handful to see why he's worthy of a round of applause!
 

Let's set the stage and introduce this great Steiff hand puppet. Here we have the company's Hand Sneba. The German word for snow is Schnee, so his name makes perfect sense. Sneba is 17 cm tall and made from a white synthetic fabric called dralon. He is detailed with black pom-pom style buttons up his front, an orange felt nose to resemble a carrot, a red hand embroidered mouth, shiny black eyes, and a black felt hat. When he was new, he had just a touch of pink on his cheeks and you can just barely make that out now on this example. Sneba's head and the tips of his hands are stuffed with excelsior. His button and yellow tag are located on the edge of the front of his body.  Like most snowmen, this one only lasted a very short period! He appeared in the Steiff catalog for one year only - 1964 - making him one of the rarer post war puppets created by Steiff.
 
Like many things we all know and love, Sneba has cold hands but a warm heart! And despite his unassuming looks and personality, he has three very interesting features from the collector's perspective. 

First is his design. Unlike the vast majority of Steiff puppets produced by the company before the early 1980's, Sneba appears to be a totally original design and not based on a popular standard line character. The only other somewhat period snowman designed item Steiffgal can think of is the 25 cm white wool plush snowman that the company designed as a US exclusive in 1955, who is pictured here on the left. However, as you can tell, there really isn't any design overlap between him and Sneba.  This photo is from Gunther Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Steiff Sortiment book.

Second is his material. During Sneba's period of production, Steiff made most animal puppets out of mohair, and character puppets with molded heads and felt and/or fabric bodies - not dralon. Sneba is in good - but extremely rare - company with Hand Gora, Steiff's dralon gorilla puppet from 1961 through 1964. Gora is pictured here on the left for your review. She is 17 cm; her body and head are made from long and short grey dralon and her hands are made from short tan dralon.  Her face comes to life with peach colored tan felt ears, black and white google style eyes, and extensive airbrushed features.  

And topping up reason number three is his accessory. Sneba wears a handsome black felt chapeau. Like many of Steiff's legacy dolls, Steiff's earlier "people" puppets generally wore head wear to complement their well designed outfits. Except for Steiff's Hand Bear Sailor puppet from 1972 through 1975, Steiffgal cannot think of another Steiff non-human puppet donning a hat. Hand Bear Sailor is pictured her on the left for your review. He is made from a very golden yellow colored mohair. His head is hard stuffed with excelsior, while the rest of his body is floppy. His paws are made of tan velvet material. His face is detailed with large black and white google eyes and a black plastic nose. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of Steiff's interesting Sneba snowman puppet has taken a bit of the winter chill out of your day!

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

A Petite Steiff Treat In Honor Of Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day, the universal holiday of love, Steiffgal thought she'd introduce you to one of her Steiff cupids! Well, this little guy wasn't designed as the sprite with wings and a bow and arrow - but he certainly plays the role of a super sweetheart really well! Come check out this darling Steiff gnome and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.
 

This little lovey certainly gets Steiffgal's heart beating in a big way! Here we have Steiff's gnome named Snik. Snik is 35 cm tall, made of felt, and is leg and head jointed. His oversized hands and feet are remarkably detailed with realistic fingers and toes. His ever-happy face comes to life with a long orange mohair beard and eyebrows, bright green and black glass pupil eyes in felt eye pockets, an impish upturned nose, and a open, red smiling mouth. He wears brown felt shorts, a white cotton shirt, a now faded red pointed cap, and a bright purple belted felt vest that has faded to tan over time. You can't help but notice Snik's enormous wooden and leather clogs - just perfect for yard work (but more on that later!) Snik was produced in 25, 35, and 43 cm from 1927 though 1943.
 

Steiffgal's Snik is based on another very similar felt dwarf (also named Snik) that Steiff produced from 1911 through 1921. Early Snik was made in 22, 30, 43, and 50 cm; he had a purple felt hat and a slightly different facial expression than later Snik. You can see this first Snik pictured here on the left; the photo is from Gunther Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment Book. Early Snik was designed during a most interesting period in the evolution of Steiff dolls. Steiff began commercially producing its first dolls with center-seamed faces around 1904. Most of these were felt; some were velvet. These early dolls were called “caricature” dolls or “charakterpuppe” because they had comical, exaggerated features – such as extremely lean or rotund bodies, huge feet, or cartoon-like faces... much like early and later Snik. In about 1914, Steiff started giving their new doll patterns much more accurate, human proportions, and started moving away from the “charakterpuppe” look. These updated designs became universally embraced for their authenticity, appeal, and charming appearances. So this later Snik, despite his likely production in the late 1920's or early 1930's, is really a nod to Steiff's very early turn of last century “charakterpuppe” doll production and design priorities. 

It was a shoe-in that this clog wearing sweetie would be a hit with collectors for over three decades! Gnomes hold a very special place in the hearts of many Germans and have been a part of European popular culture for centuries. These small, humanoid creatures apparently live underground and are considered auspicious (and a bit mischievous) as well as essential for gardening success! Today, it is not uncommon to see small gnome statues in even the most formally planted and tended gardens across Europe! It is said that gnomes have a lifespan of 400 years and "kiss" by rubbings noses and also use nose rubbing as a greeting equivalent to people shaking hands.  Like our friend Snik under discussion today, "typical" gnomes have red pointy hats, fluffy beards, dark pants, sturdy working shoes, and a sweet expression that reflects the pleasure that comes from a good day at work.  

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Snik has been a petite treat for you. 
  
Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.