This is a Wind-up Music Box Teddy Bear made of Angora Mohair wool, considered to be the ultimate material for a teddy bear. It is stuffed with very fine Excelsior wood wool. The bear was released in 1999 by the Hermann company to commemorate the 100th death anniversary of composer Johann Strauss, aka King of the Waltz.
The music box is in perfect working condition, playing Strauss’s “Donauwalzer”. The bear and clothes are in good condition. The bear is jointed at the armpits and hips. He is approx 17 in long with his legs extended, and 12 in high in sitting position.
The history of Hermann pluschtiere can be traced back to 1907, when Johann Hermann began making wooden toys and miniature fiddles in Neufang, Germany. In 1912, Bernhard Hermann, Johann's son, founded BE-HA Quality Germany, later renamed Teddy-Hermann, in Sonneberg, Germany. The business moved to Hirschaid near Bamberg in 1948, where it is still based today.
Hermann pluschtiere are primarily plush toys, especially teddy bears. They have been stuffed with excelsior for almost 100 years. Since 1993, all HERMANN-Coburg Teddy Bears have a special "neck mark" that is a triangle shape with the imprint of "the Bear with the Running Dog".