Keeping Things Balanced With This One Legged Steiff Studio Grey Heron

It's important to keep things balanced when it comes to Steiff, right?  Well, no vintage collectible better demonstrates that then this fantastic and lifelike Steiff studio bird!  Check out this "one-legged wonder" and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

This great and unusual Steiff bird is really on solid footing, despite what you might think!  This studio, or life sized, Grey Heron is 50 cm tall, unjointed, and standing on one leg.  He is primarily made from short white plush and short grey plush.  He is brought to life with stenciled felt wings; long grey and white plush "feathering" on his back, chest, and head; and a long, thin yellow trivera velvet beak.  His pert face is detailed with light green and black pupil eyes and a black plush "bandit style" mask across his forehead. And of course, you can't help but notice his authentic, yellow trivera legs (or in this case, leg!) with its prominent, distinct "knee" and large four toed foot. This Grey Heron was made from 1980 through 1984 in this size only.  He is pictured from three angles in the photo above.

This big bird has a leg up in a few areas over his other Steiff bird cousins.  First of all, this is the only Grey Heron (or any heron at all) that Steiff has ever produced in the line - at least as far as Steiffgal can find.  It is also the only one legged bird Steiff has ever produced - again, as far as Steiffgal knows of.  Although this bird only has one leg, it does have a second foot which is attached to his body.  You can see how Steiff did this in a realistic manner in the photo here on the left - as if he were "tucking" his long leg under his wing. And, in case you are wondering, he really can balance on one leg - given there are no strong drafts or wandering pets within a three foot radius of him!

It is Steiffgal's best guess that this "tall drink of water" is a variation on the company's somewhat better known two legged white studio stork.  That traditional bundle-of-joy-bearer is 50 cm tall, unjointed, standing and made from short, white woven fur and long, white tufted plush. He has very subtle light blue airbrushing on his forehead and wings and sports black trivera velvet feathers on the tips of his white wings. He has delightful, posable red trivera velvet legs.  Each foot has four red trivera "toes." His face is detailed with brown and black pupil eyes and a red trivera velvet beak. Like Steiff's studio Grey Heron, this studio stork was manufactured from 1980 through 1984; he is pictured here on left.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's one-legged Grey Heron makes you want to stand up and cheer!

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Seeing Stripes Over This Zany Steiff Zebra

"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay 

My, oh my, what a wonderful day 

Plenty of sunshine headin' my way 

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay"

Steiffgal couldn't help but break into song - that wonderful Academy Award winning Disney tune from "Song of the South" - when she was introduced to this week's blog feature item.  After all, it is possible that this happy fellow just might be the zenith of early post war Steiff items.  No other rarity from this era can match the zip and zeal of this black and white beauty.   Take a look and zee - I mean see -  for yourself!

This tall drink of water is Steiff''s Lulac zebra.  Lulac style animals have comically long arms, legs, and torsos, and are usually very playful and goofy looking.  This zany Lulac zebra is 30 cm tall and unjointed.  He is made from tan mohair which has been stenciled with black stripes all over his body.  His paw pads are made from black felt, and his tail is made from white felt which has also been airbrushed with stripes.  The tip of his tail is finished with a tuft of long black mohair.  Zebra has a tan and black bristle-style mane.  The insides of his ears are airbrushed in pink and grey.  His face is detailed with black and brown pupil eyes, longer fur around his sideburn areas and forehead, and a smiling, peach felt lined open mouth.  He is complete with his raised script Steiff button, yellow ear tag, and large, colorful bear faced chest tag.

This jungle jem is really rare; so rare that little is known about him.  It is not really even clear what his name is, or might be (Zelac, maybe?) or when he was made.  Steiffgal was not able to find out any more information on him in any of the standard Steiff reference books.  However, he comes with two small clues about his identity.  The first is his yellow ear tag, which has the numbers 7330 on it.  This corresponds to... 7 = in caricature, 3 = mohair, and 30 = 30 cm tall.  The second is his complete set of IDs, its configuration dates him in the early 1950's through late 1960's.  What is striking about him, however, are his physical and structural similarities to another rare and beloved Steiff Lulac character, the Lulac Esel or Lulac donkey, which was a USA exclusive in 1954 only.  Lulac donkey and Lulac zebra are pictured here on the left.  This beloved barnyard buddy is documented at 35 cm and looks almost identical to his zebra cousin, except for a few design details:

• Lulac zebra is black and white striped while Lulac donkey is shades of grey
• Lulac zebra has black and brown pupil eyes while Lulac donkey has shiny black button eyes
• Lulac zebra's ears face outward while Lulac donkey's ears face inward  

It is also interesting to note that even though Lulac donkey is cataloged at 35 cm, he is in reality 30 cm tall, identical to Lulac zebra.

So what's the story behind Lulac zebra?  Well, Steiffgal can't find anything definitive in writing about him, so here are her best thoughts, based on the little that can deduced and some circumstantial evidence.  First of all, Steiffgal has seen one or two other Lulac zebras over the decade, so a few were made; this is not a "one of a kind" rarity.  And, given how close he is in design, look, and feel to Lulac donkey, Lulac zebra was most likely produced at the same time (1954, plus or minus a year or two) as Lulac donkey.  Steiffgal does know with certainty that Lulac zebra was purchased in the mid to late 1950's at FAO Schwarz in New York.  So net net, it is Steiffgal's best guesstimate that Lulac zebra is either a poorly documented United States or FAO Schwarz exclusive edition that was produced in exceedingly small numbers in the mid 1950's.  

Steiffgal hopes this introduction to Steiff's Lulac zebra has been quite "zee" exclusive experience for you!

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