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Vintage teddy bear from the 1940s or 1950s.
Presumably made as part of a shop advertising display.
The bear is dressed in a long skirt, a lace blouse and a World War Two “housewife” style headscarf with striped pink-and-blue bow.
She is leaning against a little stall – a wooden tray on a stand, covered with embroidery threads, needle packets and a wide variety of buttons.
The wooden base is also adorned with buttons and threads.
The wooden parts are covered with strips of brown paper, presumably to disguise the cheap wood used and prevent splinters.
There are several brand names mentioned:
John James & Sons of Redditch (a famous needle manufacturer)Liberty’s (of London)Needlewoman and Needlecraft (a magazine produced intermittently during the 1940s, and monthly from the 1950s)Volans Non Serpens (a trademark, but I do not know which company used this trademark.
Measures 8 inches (20 cm) tall approx.
The base measures 6″ x 3.5″ (15 cm x 9 cm).
Weight 260g.
Condition
Vintage advertising item, made during or shortly after the Second World War, and in surprisingly good condition.
It looks as if it was designed to stand on a haberdashery counter or shop window.
It still stands up straight, and looks really charming, though rather dusty!
I really don’t know if it was a commercially produced item, or just a one-off piece of craft work.
It has survived for over half a century in good shape, with just some minor problems.
The clothing worn by the bear has discoloured/faded with age, and the fur of the bear looks dark.
If you pull the cap aside, you can see that the original colour of the fur underneath was yellow.
The side of one arm is flattened and the fur there feels hard, possibly where it has been stored against a heater or similar, but this is not very noticeable.
Two strips (presumably of buttons) are missing from the side and front of the tray.
One or two other buttons are also missing.
All in all, a nostalgic relic of a bygone era.
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Postage
UK buyers: Second class post (first class or Special Delivery also available, but they cost a bit more).
All other countries: Airmail (please allow 14 days)
Non-UK buyers, Paypal only, please.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
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