-40%
antique vintage 22" jointed mohair teddy bear turn of the century
$ 105.07
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Description
This was my Grandfather's teddy bear. He was born in 1896 in Massachusetts. My best guess is this bear might date to 1900-1906? Side note: as a child, I was never allowed to play with or touch this bear. He lived in a glass cabinet, out of reach of children's grubby hands. I've been unable to definitively identify the bear's maker. I've seen bears made by Tali and Ideal that look similar. As to be expected with 100+ year old toys, his mohair is fairly threadbare and some of the seams have gaps. His stuffing has a crunchy feel when squeezed, so I'm guessing it's "wood wool." He's been stored in a box in an old cloth sugar sack (Revere Sugar, made in Boston) for decades. I'm including the sugar sack in the sale. Please email me any questions you might have. I'm not a bear expert, just a tired middle aged lady trying to clean out her closets. Below is information from a bear expert based on photographs:Your heirloom teddy bear is an example of American workmanship, emulating the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. Twill noses were popular on American bears, it was cost effective for ease in sewing. The slight mouth is cord. His eyes are replicated in stitch, while the original ones were amber glass and merely inserted into the head on wire shanks. These were no child safe, so perhaps they were proactively removed at some point. His stuffing is excelsior, which contributes to his good stance. The hand closure seam is in the back and he does have significant hair loss, but he is five way jointed. The tassel is an add on from his past, possibly pretending to be a tag in the ear. It is older paper, but not related to teddies background. The ears are cupped and sewn into place toward the side of the head. He is an antique at this stage. The felt pads have been recovered. Teddy bears were made for boys originally, girls had dolls.