STUFFED ANIMAL

:''For preserved dead animals, see taxidermy.''


A 'stuffed animal' is toy animal stuffed with straw, beans, cotton or other similar materials. Some stuffed animals are very old – home made cloth dolls stuffed with straw go back to at least the 1830s, perhaps much older. Stuffed animals are also known as plush toys and soft toys and of course the teddy bear.
Stuffed animals in the past were frequently produced by stuffing the evacuated skins of hunted animals. The phrase is still sometimes used to refer to examples of taxidermy. However, with modern technology it is now possible to produce them with synthetic materials. For this reason, ''plush toy'' or ''plushie'' may be a more appropriate name for a modern synthetic stuffed animal.
The first commercial concern to create stuffed toys is apparently the Steiff company that was founded in 1880 in Germany.
Among the most popular types of classic stuffed animals are teddy bears and sock monkeys.

Contents

History

Commercial manufacturers

Image gallery

Roleplaying

See also

History

It is known from tomb paintings in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian civilisations that stuffed animals existed in those societies for religious purposes, and undoubtedly for human play as well. Human psychology has very strong links with anthropomorphism, and so it is almost certain that most cultures and societies in human history have used stuffed toysin the form of popular animals for children's entertainment.
In medieval Europe, stuffed animals were often used in mystery plays to represent Biblical animals, such as the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the lions in the Book of Daniel. During the Industrial Revolution in Europe from c. 1750 onwards, the toy industry began to emerge. During the 19th century, the concept of the stuffed animal (known as a ''soft toy'' in Britain) as an entertainment product took off, with commercial enterprises such as the Steiff company being established to produce children's toys.
In the 20th century, anthropomorphism became highly popular among people in urban communities, who were often isolated from contact with real animals. Soft toys remain very popular due to the psychological desire towards a comfort object.

Commercial manufacturers

★ Ty

★ Steiff

★ Gund

★ Russ Berrie

★ Princess Soft Toys

★ Build-A-Bear Workshop

★ Webkinz

★ Xoddo

★ Sigikid

Image gallery

Roleplaying

Through internet communcation resources such as myspace, some people roleplay with their stuffed animals. From creating accounts to taking photos, writing blogs from their toy's perspective, the stuffed animal world has evolved for people of all age groups.

See also

★ Teddy bear, a common type of children's stuffed toy

★ Tickle Me Elmo

★ Beanie Baby

★ Webkinz

★ Xoddo