Alpha Farnell English Mohair Articulated Bear

Glorious Alpha Farnell English mohair fully articulated bear will win you over with his darling expressive face. He dates from 1920 to 1930 and is Kapok stuffed using very light, fluffy material from the kapok tree that was frequently chosen in the 1920s-1930s to create softer bears by replacing heavier options such as excelsior. He is disc jointed which was an original design implemented by “Steiff” in “1905” that used a form of string jointing to make the arms and legs movable ("beweglich") as shown in images 29 & 30. Strong cardboard (millboard/fibreboard) discs connected to the string allowed the limbs and head to turn and pivot.

He possesses clear eyes with a painted brown back along with a hand stitched nose and mouth. This bear in all probability dates from the earlier 1920’s-time frame because of an absent tag omitted on his left foot. Paper tags were used up until “1925” when sewn in cloth tags stitched on the left foot replaced them. Silky and soft mohair was used lending a golden hue. Alpha Farnell incorporated only the finest materials in their bears and it came at a cost for the consumer.  However the quality and craftsmanship seemed to outweigh the cost and did not deter savvy buyers.

This bear has plenty of personality and does show wear as it was well loved by a doting child. Some mohair loss throughout and there is a small hole located on the back of his head. The bottom paw pads on the legs have suffered fabric loss revealing a clue of the kapok stuffing that was originally used. The paw pads on both arms show whispers of the original nutmeg brown material with an underlayer of the present cotton fabric.

On the inner thigh areas the cardboard discs are clearly visible when the legs are turned in the upward position but otherwise are hidden. This again gives us a clue showing how the discs and string were used to fully articulate this bear. Condition is still good and he does show well having an even golden consistency of strong color throughout. I added a festive red bow so he is ready to be adopted for the holidays bringing comfort and joy with him. Ships Free!  Enjoy!

Stands 161/2” tall (to the tip of his ear), measures 9 ½” @ the widest point bottom of arms and is 4 ½” deep (head area).