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Zebras

by Judith Lile and Jim Sneed

The Schoenhut Zebras
The zebra, introduced in 1906, fits the Teddy Roosevelt sets better than the circus. Zebras were not very good performers. Sometimes they were trained to pull wagons. Six designs are known - two with glass eyes, one painted eyes, one decal eyes, one reduced painted eyes, and one reduced decal eyes.

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Kramer

Glass eyes, open mouth

All zebra were made with leather ears and a woven cord tail. The neck in the glass eyes style is a separate piece.
Keller Style I - Rare

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Susan Turner

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Kramer

Glass eyes, closed mouth

The closed mouth style differs from the open mouth only by the mouth design. Both glass eyes styles have a white cloth mane. Keller Style II - Very Scarce

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Susan Turner

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Kramer

Painted eyes

The head was changed completely for the painted eyes design. It was molded as one piece. The cloth mane is gone along with the separate neck piece. No open mouth PE zebra is known.
Keller Style III - Scarce

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This is the "flat-head" version of the PE zebra. These are rarer than the rounded head version but were likely variation due to hand shaping.

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Sneed

PE Varieties

Since the zebra bodies were hand painted, varieties exist. Shown here are different treatments given to the zebra's head and mane.

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Jim Sneed

 

 

(Need photo)

Decal eyes

The latest, and perhaps the rarest zebra is the decal eyes version shown here. Otherwise, the head and body design is the same as the painted eyes.

 

 

 

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Photo by Judith Lile

Reduced size, painted eyes

The reduced zebra is found only with closed mouth. Very scarce

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Photo by Judith Lile

 

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Susan Turner

Reduced size, decal eyes

This reduced zebra has applied decal eyes. Cost savings apparent wherever they could get away with it. Very scarce

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Photo by Jim Sneed from the collection of Susan Turner