Boot button eyes or shoe button eyes were the earliest type of eyes used in teddy bear making. Back in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, boots would be fastened with buttons and it was these buttons which gave the eyes their name. Very early teddies probably used actual boot buttons for their eyes. The eyes are sewn into the head, unlike the safety eyes of today. Nowadays they would be considered unsuitable for children but teddy bear artists still use them sometimes. It is also possible to obtain genuine ones, although these are quite rare.
GERMAN RUSSET MOHAIR TEDDY BEAR BY GEBRUDER BING
20" (51 cm.) Of russet-brown mohair, the teddy has pronounced long clipped muzzle, black embroidered nose, amber glass eyes, swivel head, jointed limbs, hump back, felt paw pads. Good condition, some mohair sparseness on muzzle, repair on paw. Germany, Gebruder Bing, circa 1920.
Sold for $1,300 at Theriault’s
Rare Steiff Peter Rabbit, circa 1906 The seated velvet rabbit with black boot button eyes with red felt lining, pink stitched nose and mouth and wearing a blue felt jacket with gold trim and brass buttons, (lacks button and slippers, tear to top of left foot), 28cm (11in) tall.
Sold for £ 1,187 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2015
White mohair plush fully jointed teddy bear. The eyes are black boot button and the nose, mouth and claws stitched with black wool. The stuffing is wood wool.
This is an early example of a Steiff bear. Its long slender limbs, pointed muzzle and slight hump on the back are all typical of a Steiff bear of this age and type. This bear is called Whitie and is made from white mohair, which is quite unusual. The bear has worn a little girl’s dress for many years and has had many repairs.
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
A STEIFF SEATED SPITZ POMERANIAN, (3314), white mohair and felt, black boot button eyes, black stitching, inoperative squeaker, two red pom-poms on cord and FF button, circa 1908 –4½in. (11.5cm.) high
Sold for GBP 562 at Christie’s in 2010
STEIFF caricature figure, huntsman, felt, shoe button eyes, mohair hair, nose was repaired, leather boot, with gun, 45 cm, at the felt jacket with single repaired places
Sold for €1,900 at Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH in 2016
Boot Button Eyes
