STEIFF LIMITED EDITION MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANCE BEAR
Model number 653179
Made by Steiff exclusively for and
sold by Harrods of Knightsbridge London in 1997.
The Extravagance Bear is made of
finest tipped mohair fully jointed and 42cm in height. Fitted with an original
Swiss musical movement playing Shirley Bassey’s “Big Spender” she is always in
the mood for an enjoyable shopping stroll in Harrods. Quite naturally the
Extravagance Teddy has developed a particular passion for the ladies hat
department and happily carries the original Harrods design hat box. The
decorative golden satin ribbon certainly adds to the attraction and indeed the
extravagance of this unique collectors edition teddy bear. The nose and claws
are carefully embroidered by hand and each bear has the traditional numbered
white ear tag, the indicator of her exclusivity.
This is bear is number 289 of a
limited edition of 2000.
Complete with the original box and
authentication certificate.
The bear and box are in excellent, I
would say mint condition.
Please see photographs to satisfy
yourself of the condition of this very collectable bear.
In addition, the right foot is signed
by J R Junginger.
He was the great-grandnephew of
Margarete Steiff, founder of the Steiff company and chief designer of its toys.
But as the Steiff company's official historian, he refused to sign any animal
of dubious authenticity. "I would never sign an animal unless I was
convinced it was a Steiff," he said in 1995.
The following was written about him
on his untimely death:
Jorg Junginger, Steiff Development
Executive, died on Sept. 2, 2001, after a long illness. He was 58 years old.
The only member of the Steiff clan in recent years to play an active role in
the plush toy company founded in 1893 by his great aunt. Junginger, over the
course of a thirty-year career, became well known among Steiff collectors
because of his many personal appearances in North America on behalf of the
company. Gregarious and engaging at collector events, he was known to autograph
as many as 1,500 Steiff teddy bears in one sitting.
With a new degree in commercial art
from a Berlin university, Junginger joined Steiff in 1970 as advertising manager,
a temporary assignment that eventually turned into a long-term stay at the
company.
In 1975, he was named manager of the
Steiff's development department. In the years that followed, Junginger played
an instrumental role in Steiff's creation of replicas of the company's early
toy designs as well as guided the creation of new products.
Bear will be sent tracked with signature required and full insured.
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