Vintage Steiff 'Clownie' Bendable Figure

This is a vintage Steiff 'Clownie' figure, likely dating from the 1960s. The item features a hand-painted rubber or soft vinyl head with a distinctive white-face clown makeup pattern, blue eye accents, and a red nose. He is wearing a black felt hat and has a tuft of orange mohair for hair. The body is constructed' with a flexible wire armature allowing for posing, covered in rubber-like skin on the limbs. His outfit consists of a patterned cream-colored shirt, blue felt overalls with red suspenders, a red patch, and black felt shoes. A primary identifying feature is the original circular chest tag, which is orange/yellow and clearly reads 'Clownie' with the Steiff bear logo and 'Steiff-Original-Marke' text. The figure exhibits signs of age-related wear, including significant deterioration of the rubber on the left arm reflecting material degradation common in mid-century rubber toys. There is visible fraying at the hem of the overalls and general surface dust. Despite the limb damage, the presence of the original paper chest tag is a significant factor in its collectibility, demonstrating the high-quality craftsmanship associated with the Giengen-based German manufacturer.