Steiff Helvetic Vintage German Bear Circa 1910-1912 Steiff are the creators of the soft toy and the teddy bear since 1880. They are classed as Teddy Bear Royalty and are known for using exceptional quality in their choice of fabrics, changing their designs to suit the times and fashions of the day and their trademark 'Button in the Ear'. This enchanting, characterful vintage Steiff from 1910 – 1912, with his overly long arms, humped back and longer snout was very much of its time. We would class it as a traditional bear today and a lot of Steiff designs are still based around it, in some way or another.
This beguiling bear is 36 cm / 14" and fully jointed. He has been sewn from a blonde mohair and lovingly stuffed with excelsior. His matching hued, wool felt paws have been sympathetically restored, to the point of leaving a brief window, so you can see his filling, whilst his new shoe button eyes have a times old glimmer, with a caramel thread being used for his claws and much kissed nose, bringing a spark of life. Imagine the stories and secrets he holds, maybe he can share them with you.
This glorious fellow is between 110 – 112 years old and is really quite magical. Due to time, many hugs and imaginative playtime, you would expect a certain condition for his age, but actually he is very good (please see available images), with minimal thread bear and bald patches in his coat and a worn nose, being the main show of his age. His left ear sports a hole where his 'button' use to be, probably as at one time parents removed the trademark, for fear of a child choking on it. It doesn't however distract from his charms, or authenticity of being a Steiff.
