Middle Brother Steiff Lieg Hase Lying Rabbit Beautiful Coloring All ID

This is the middle brother of the three sizes of Lieg Hase, or lying rabbit (actually “hare” but the “rabbit” is the accepted translation for Steiff animals) that Steiff made. I am telling you his name as it appears in Pfeiffer—as two separate words. I believe that the more typical rendering of German nouns that are modified by adjectives combines the two into one word. An example, also from Pfeiffer, is “Verwandlungshase,” which translates into “changeable rabbit.” There may be grammatical rules that determine which kinds of words are combined and which stay apart that I simply don’t know, and, for the current purpose, what you CALL this bunny is far less important than his spectacular appearance!

Hase’s article number, 2309,00 which is legible, even though it is partially stamped over the name “Steiff “ on his flag, tells you his size in centimeters. I almost always have trouble determining how Steiff lying animals are to be measured to yield their catalogue size, in this instance 9 centimeters. Although it is not what you get (around 8 centimeters, or a little more than 3 inches) when you measure Hase’s height from his lying surface to the top of his (swivel) head, that is still a useful number to know when you are planning his display space. I think Hase’s most useful dimension to know is his front-to-back measurement from the from the tips of his front feet to the tips of his rear feet. Even though Hase is not the smallest of the three brothers, he is still diminutive, and you should find all kinds of nice ways to display him. Because his coloring is so nice all over his body, you can’t go wrong.

Now that I have come to that topic, I want to point out two tiny things about Hase’s coloring that are just a bit less than perfect. He has a few light stains on the velveteen lining of his right ear. But most of that ear is near pristine, with white velveteen and rose-colored airbrushing. Likewise, the white mohair that covers his underside probably looks the same as it did maybe more than 60 years ago when he left Giengen. Like the tiny light blemishes on the underside of Hase’s right ear, the one at the tip of his left foot is also inconsequential—especially because it’s on his underside!

I mentioned Hase’s approximate age. There were two series of Lieg Hase with this same number, but I am almost certain that this little guy is from the earlier series, made between 1959 and 1964. I say that because his googly eyes are glass, and the raised script button that anchors his flag is the earlier kind, with skinny letters.

Two other things I want to point out are the newness of Hase’s bow. It is neither faded nor frayed, and it is still tacked to his neck. And finally, I am pleased to tell you that Hase has all his whiskers, four on each side of his nose.

I can’t think of anything else to tell you, but please write if you have a question. This rabbit should be in every Steiff bunny collection, either yours or the collection of someone you would like to surprise with a gift. And while you are in a bunny frame of mind, please check out my others!

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT LIEG HASE OR ANY OF MY OTHER STEIFF ITEMS, PLEASE BE SURE TO SEE THE ARTICLE I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT STEIFF ID FRAUD—INCLUDING COUNTERFEIT CHEST TAGS—(AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COLLECTORS). YOU WILL FIND THE LINK ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF MY SHOP HOME PAGE UNDER “FAVORITE LINKS.” IF YOU HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY, I UPDATED AND EXPANDED IT IN MARCH, 2023.