c.1955 Suzuki Edwards, Playing Family Dachs Hund In Original Box
Unusual (to say the least) tin litho clockwork toy called "Mechanical Playing Family Dach's Hund" dog manufactured by Suzuki and Edwards Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan. Comes complete with original box and in beautiful working condition. Suzuki & Edwards (with trademark logo S&E inside a horizontal diamond shape) are noted for some of the most creative battery operated toys to come out of Japan. But their wind-up toys seem to be less well known, or possibly less produced. Regardless, battery op. or clockwork, they still made really neat, and sometimes really strange unique toys. Like this one. The Playing Family Dach's Hund (with the word "dachshund" spelled phonetically using two separate words), features a three-part segmented snake-like mama dachshund with her two playing pups. The pups are embedded into the center segment and are cammed to the wheel axle underneath them. As the toy moves forward, a rod connecting the first two sections alternately pulls the toy to the right. This gives it the snake-like movement. Simultaneously the pups move up and down in opposite directions; one goes up while the other moves down. The pups front two "arms" are hinged to move at the same time. It's a pretty weird, but really neat effect. The lithography is just as unusual as the action. The mama has a broad smiley human-like face with large blue eyes. She's wearing a white frilled collar tied with a bow-tie and a yellow, blue and white polka dotted red apron. The only part that closely resembles a real dog is the underside of the center and last sections. Also, just underneath the left side of her crotch is the S&E trademark logo. The pups are wearing red, white, and blue striped shirts. The mama's tail is the original brown rubber and is complete. It has an attached key and runs on two #" wooden wheels up front and two 1" wheels underneath the pups. Oh, and the toy works beautifully! The box is just as neat as the toy. The cover was printed with a full panel illustration of an elongated mama dachshund dressed identically as the toy, complete with a wide happy smile and large blue eyes. One her back are dancing her two happy puppies. Some scenery is shown in the background. The S&E logo can just barely be seen in the lower right corner. The Stracto name in the lower left corner was the U.S. importer and distributor. The front and back aprons have a simpler portrait of the toy. The sides were printed with just the name of the toy. It has a complete box bottom. Size: 11". Date Sold: Jul. 2009
Price Sold: $ 128
