Tom
Soft Toy
2016 (manufactured)
2016 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Tom is the mascot for the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mascot was decided by popular vote, a precedent that had been set by the 2014 Winter Olympics. The mascot is a plant figure representing all Brazilian plants, the design inspired by the flora of Brazil. It is named after the Brazilian bossa nova musician Tom Jobim.
The design studio who created the mascot gave it a character which included a special power. To quote the studio: "Tom can find any object inside his leafy hair to help him solve every situation. His power represents the reinvention of the Paralympic athletes." The Paralympic and Olympic characters were given profiles on social networks, made into coins, stamps, toys, videogames and hundreds of other products. They were also the stars of a cartoon series 'Vinicius and Tom, Funny by Nature'.
The design studio who created the mascot gave it a character which included a special power. To quote the studio: "Tom can find any object inside his leafy hair to help him solve every situation. His power represents the reinvention of the Paralympic athletes." The Paralympic and Olympic characters were given profiles on social networks, made into coins, stamps, toys, videogames and hundreds of other products. They were also the stars of a cartoon series 'Vinicius and Tom, Funny by Nature'.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Tom (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plush, stuffed, sewn, embroidered, printed card and label |
| Brief description | Plush soft toy Paralympic mascot, Tom, from the Rio 2016 Summer Games |
| Physical description | Pale blue plush toy figure with two arms, two legs and long oval head. Yellow band of colour on arms; four fingered orange hands. Olive green lower legs with six green plastic shapes adhered to sole of both feet, forming a leaf shape. Yellow embroidered circles on both knees. Embroidered face features: purple eyes, eyebrows and lips. Open mouth with black material and orange embroidered tongue. Paralympic emblem printed and adhered to oval white plush on front. Hair comprised of leaf shapes in three different shades of green material. Five small plush pom poms, three yellow and two orange, each glued to black woven stalks which emerge in a clump from the top of the head. Sewn in label on proper left side. Merchandising card, folded and hanging on a clear plastic label tag attached to proper left hand. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Associations | |
| Summary | Tom is the mascot for the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The mascot was decided by popular vote, a precedent that had been set by the 2014 Winter Olympics. The mascot is a plant figure representing all Brazilian plants, the design inspired by the flora of Brazil. It is named after the Brazilian bossa nova musician Tom Jobim. The design studio who created the mascot gave it a character which included a special power. To quote the studio: "Tom can find any object inside his leafy hair to help him solve every situation. His power represents the reinvention of the Paralympic athletes." The Paralympic and Olympic characters were given profiles on social networks, made into coins, stamps, toys, videogames and hundreds of other products. They were also the stars of a cartoon series 'Vinicius and Tom, Funny by Nature'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.34-2016 |
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| Record created | December 1, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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