The doll is wearing a uniform, maybe a field coat, made of brownish gray wool. It has little brass buttons on it with a tiny insignia that looks like a pineapple shape. His coat has a little light brown or orange-ish square sewn onto each end of his collar; the coat is fairly long and buttons hold it open at the bottom. It is finely and expertly sewn and kind of gathered in the back. The sleeves have cuffs. The front of the coat has pockets on the chest. The right shoulder has a bit of the same fabric pinned to the shoulder, as if something else might have been there at some time.
From one Steiff aficionado to another,
Let's follow marching orders and get right down to business in terms of this dolls. Yes, in many ways, he does share some similar characteristics to Steiff's wide range of soldier and military themed dolls from the approximately 1910 through 1920 time frame. These include his materials, general proportions, detailed clothing, and body construction. However, there are three key areas that clearly suggest that he was made by a manufacturer other than Steiff. These are his:
- Clothing and footwear style and details
- Facial construction
- Unusual eyes shape
Steiff's Infantryman from 1914 though 1921 |
Center Seam Face |
Pressed Felt Face |
Early Scotty, delightful photo from http://oldtoys.info/ |
So just who is this mysterious military man? Without labels, it's almost impossible to tell... and like a good soldier, this one's keeping state secrets.
Steiffgal hopes this discussion on early felt dolls has met with uniform appeal.
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