Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Funny Old Bear

This quirky antique teddy bear is 12 inches tall, made from an unusual cotton batting type fabric. His features include a very strange nose, tiny eyes, and one foot pad which appears to have been put on upside down. He's odd, but adorable.


I've never seen another like him, so I can only guess as to his age and nationality...maybe American or English circa one of the World Wars? I've seen the octagonal nose once on an old English bear, and (much smaller) upward stitches also on English teds, while the side-placed ears are found on American and English varieties. This type of fabric was typically used during wartime shortages of wool, which was being used for soldiers' uniforms and so couldn't be made into mohair for bears. If anyone has a similar ted, I'd love to see him (or her) and compare notes!

This is his original nose and mouth stitching. 
It gives him rather a distinctive look and funny expression, 
especially combined with the beady little eyes.

6 comments:

  1. He looks quite dashing with that mustache.

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  2. Hi Tracy - I've only just found your blog now. It's quite wonderful! I feel very strongly about old toys and games, I feel almost like I'm stepping back in time somehow. And I did have trolls and a troll house. What memories that brought back! Lovely blog, I shall be back regularly! ~Siobhan

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  3. Hi Siobhan and welcome! Glad you're enjoying the blog. I feel the same way about old toys: they do take you back in time, imagining the children who played with them so long ago. Hope you'll see lots more here that you like!

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  4. Hi Tracy, I just stumbled upon your blog whilst researching old Erris bears. I wondered if you had done any reading on old Joy Toys bears? This guy has the exact same nose stitching of a Joy Toy bear of the 20s/30s. They are Australian made and you can read about them in the Teddy Bear Encyclopaedia by Betty Cockrill.. page 58! Loving reading your adventures with bears! I have signed up to follow your blog in order to read plenty more. Take care, Lou. x

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  5. Hi there, thanks for the tip: I have that book, and will take a look! Glad you're enjoying the blog!

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