June 24-26 2016 Premier Toys, Dolls, Marbles & Figural Cast Iron
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/25/2016
Museum quality, on wooden plinths with IDs. This is unquestionably the finest all original and complete set of early Steiff skittles to come to auction in memory. This set, designed for the European market, consists of eight begging, unjointed animals on wooden skittles and one short pile plush bear king pin, dressed in a red felt top coat and crown. The Kingpin is holding a stick and is detailed with a chain, like a turn-of-the century circus bear. The pin animals include a pig, elephant, a cat , rabbit, poodle, pointer, dachshund, and bulldog. Of the pin animals, all but the poodle are made from tan velvet; the poodle is made from rare white curled wool plush. The dachshund, pointer, and bulldog retain their original leather collars and decorative coin medallions. The poodle, pig, elephant, rabbit, and cat retain their original bows and bells except for the pig which has lost his bell to time. All nine animals in the set are mounted on wooden plinths with the king pin on a slightly higher platform. The set includes two original skittle balls which originally were covered in felt but are no longer so. Remarkably, all nine animals in this set retain their tiny blank buttons, dating them to the 1905-1906 time frame. Most of the buttons have a trace to a touch of rust to them. This Skittles Assortment appeared in the Steiff line from 1902 through 1916 only. The American version had 10 skittles while the European version had 9. This set and assortment is as pictured on page 577 of Gunther Pfeiffer's Steiff Sortiment 1892-1943 reference book. CONDITION: As noted. All with very light surface dust. Wooden plinths with minor losses from playwear. Kingpin's red wood coat and crown with a few tiny holes. Otherwise in excellent condition given the age and the gaming nature of this extraordinary set.
Item Dimensions: Largest: 9 - 3/4" T.