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Rabbit Occupied Japan and Childs Cloth Book dated 1939

#802

Regular price $48.50

Easter will be here before you know it and this lovely gathering that includes a rabbit housed in a basket along with a beautifully illustrated Child's cloth book would be a charming Easter gathering to present on a holiday table. This fun ensemble will brighten your holiday lending whimsy and gaiety to any nook in your home.

Occupied Japan pieces are considered highly collectible because of the short time frame they were produced in Japan, 1945 through 1951 when the western forces occupied the area. This happy rabbit sports a soft dusty rose hue and is ready to make your acquaintance. I replaced his eyes because he was blind when I purchased him with nifty glass eyes and this little girl can now see! Her nose and mouth are stitched and the underside of her body along with the inside of her ears boasts an off white hue. A pale blue ribbon accents her neck and she even has the “Occupied Japan” paper label still intact located on the bottom. She is in very good condition without any holes or rips to report as well as a non-fading plight.

She seems to adore her new surroundings as I placed her in a basket along with green moss and eggs. The two larger ones are hand blown quail eggs while the two smaller speckled eggs were fashioned from plastic but do have a realistic appearance. I also added some dried alfalfa so she can feel free to nibble on her favorite snack. The basket is about thirty years old and does have a piece of missing wicker, (a break in the weave) as shown in image 12. It also needs a little help to center and stand correctly so a branch was added underneath to help support it and is included.

I was able to find a beautiful cloth book that was a great fit for the bunny basket entitled, “1~2~3 Picture Book” dated 1939 referenced by Roman Numerals on the bottom of the inside cover page as shown in image 21. The children's publishing house of “Platt and Munk” was founded in 1921 and the firm was later acquired by Grosset & Dunlap in the year of 1977. The scenes on each page depicting farm animals are colorful and very realistic as shown in the pictures. My favorite is the happy bunny with a smiling face on the cover as well as the chickens with the glimpse of a farmhouse in the background. Of course, all of the animals are adorable and the artist did a spectacular job capturing every bit of detail whether it be feather or fur.

The corner of the pages were bent when I received it so I gently ironed each one and was successful in getting the creases removed. However the corners do not lay flat and have a gentle curve. The name of “Rosalie” is written in pen on the upper left hand corner and is a sweet memento we can appreciate because this child enjoyed the book enough to sign it as her very own coveted possession. The front and back cover along with some of the pages inside do show signs of wear but the overall appearance is still strong and vibrant. Overall condition is very good without any rips or holes to report. All pages are accounted for. The binding has been stitched and the thread is still present.

This sweet and happy gathering would be a wonderful addition to your Easter collections and can be an amazing display on a table with fresh flowers nearby housed in old bottles as well as spun cotton chicks and paper Mache rabbits or hens also dotting the landscape. Another suggestion is to unearth your putz animals from the attic and place them in this appropriate scene perhaps enclosed within a bordering fence! Have fun, Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Rabbit stands 4 ¼” tall, face measures a little over 1” deep, underside measures 1 ¾” front to back. Basket stands 4 ½” tall (including the handle) basket itself stands 2 ¾” tall, top opening measures almost 4” across and the bottom measures 1 ¾” across. Cloth covered book measures almost 8” tall (vertical position) and measures 6 ½” across (right to left).

~Freight (Standard Mail) included, however Insurance is optional and can be purchased @ checkout ~ within the continental U.S.

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