This big bird is one smarty pants for sure. He measures 60 cm or 24 inches tall, with a wingspan of about the same. He is standing, head jointed, and made from a variety of different mohair materials. His body and wings have been decoratively airbrushed to appear as if they are covered in feathers. His back tail feather area is lined in wire which is posable as well as helps to keep him upright. His oversized legs and feet are made from shorter tan mohair. He has four toes on each foot; each is detailed with a rubber talon. A few talons are loose but all are present. His face comes to life with two enormous amber and black pupil eyes, a dimensional mohair facial mask, black airbrushing, and a rubber beak. Part of this beak, like many rubber features on Steiff animals of this period, has dried out and crumbled off, but a good part remains, and it could be stabilized. This example is missing its prominent forehead feathers, but these are easily replaceable. This is only the third Steiff studio owl this cataloger has handled; they are exceedingly rare on the secondary market. This item was produced for a handful of years in the 1960’s and came in this size only. Owl retains its raised script button and fully legible yellow tag on its wing as its Steiff IDs. Condition: As noted. With generalized playwear, surface dust, and fading; overall in good to very good condition. Provenance: According to its one owner, this item was purchased from F.A.O. Schwarz in New York City in the early 1960’s.
Described by Rebekah Kaufman. 22 - 1/2" T.