A rare pair of Steiff teddy bears dancing

THE BEAR'S WEDDING

Details

A rare pair of Steiff teddy bears dancing
the male bear with golden mohair, brown and black glass eyes, pronounced clipped muzzle, black stitched nose, mouth and claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads, hump, FF button in ear with remains of red cloth tag, blue felt jacket with brass buttons and blue gingham trousers --13¼in. (34cm.) high (small professional patch to right hand, thinning to hands, lower legs and back of head, patches to three pads and some fading); and the female bear with white mohair, brown and black glass eyes, pronounced clipped muzzle, brown stitched nose, mouth and claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads, hump, FF button in ear and red felt and gingham dress --11¾in. (30cm.) high (some thinning and general wear to mohair, a few small repairs to pads)
(2)

Provenance

A similar pair of bears were sold in these rooms on the 13th February 1992. These now reside in the Puppenhausmuseum in Basel and are photographed on page 50 of their museum catalogue.

A pair of dancing bears and three musicians were also sold at the Steiff 2003 Festival in Giengen, lot 50.

Literature

See Button in Ear, Jürgen and Marianne Cieslik, page 199 for an image of 'The Bears' Wedding'.

Further details

END OF SALE

Lot Essay

These two bears are similar to those that were featured dancing in a display made by Steiff in 1925. At one stage they were on display in San Francisco for the American Children's Day on June 18, 1927. Called 'The Bears' Wedding', at least six bear couples were dancing on a raised area in the middle of a village, as a wedding procession comes out of the church.

It is also very possible that this type of dancing bear were made for other similar Steiff displays.

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