Soft toy, plush bull, made by Chad Valley Company Limited, England, 1920-1930.

A stuffed plush bull with light brown stitching along the top and underneath the body. The bull has clear and red plastic eyes and a smiley mouth is drawn on in black ink. The bull is standing on all fours, has horns, ears and a tail. It has a button on its tail which reads 'Chad Valley British hygienic toys'.

This soft toy is from Daniel Agnew's collection. He is best known for running Christie's famous Teddy Bear auctions from 2000 to 2007, but his passion for Teddy Bears and all toys goes back much further than that. His mother is a well-respected antique dealer known throughout Britain. As a child he was fascinated with the bits and pieces that she bought home from her various buying trips. Daniel started to attend auctions and shows with her at the weekends and as a child of 9 or 10, what caught his eye most were the toys.

This soft toy bull is made by Chad Valley. Chad Valley is a long-established toy company in Britain, with its roots in Birmingham in the early 19th century. It was bought by Woolworths in 1988, yet is now owned by the Home Retail Group, bought in 2009 meaning the brand appears in many popular shops such as Argos.

Chad Valley also manufactured teddy bears, initially in 1915. These bears are notable for their large ears and noses.

B.122-2010