Ko-Ko the Inkwell Clown Betty Boop W/U Toy Fleischer Studios 1920s Germany RARE

Description

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SALE ITEMS CAN BE COMBINED TO SAVE ON SHIPPING.
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THE ITEM DESCRIPTION:
First, please note that the paper tag you see on Ko-Ko's chest is a laser copy of an original tag. The tag identifies the character as the Inkwell Clown The tag has a copyright date of 1920-1924 Out Of The Inkwell Films, Inc. & the word Germany at the very bottom.  I know of only 3 examples of this rare & obscure wind-up toy in the hands of comic character collectors.
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The wind-up mechanism works well with a side to side rocking motion that tends to move him forward bit by bit. The toy is 8 1/2” tall. The head, hands & upper body are painted composition. The clown costume is felt with lace like trim & 3 cotton balls in a line starting at the top of his hat. His hat is stuffed with straw to give it shape. You may not be able tell in the photos but he is wearing an off-white undershirt made from crepe paper. The legs are thick wire & end with cast metal shoes painted grey. Look closely at the shoes & you can see a design cast into the top. His composition hands have thumbs that curl upward. His painted face has classic clown features especially the red nose & the big painted mouth. I'd never think to dress a clown in black but the Inkwell films were black & white & Ko-Ko was closely linked to that color combination. Every Ko-Ko toy of the mid-1920's & every doll is dressed in black & white. The white painted face & hands have lost their whiteness over time as the composition material absorbed the paint & let the tan color of the composition bleed thru. This material was probably made from wood pulp. Collectors have seen many other toys in this style with the small cast metal shoes & the side to side rocking motion. They are usually European made mostly German but sometimes French. Ko-Ko was made in Germany.
063021
/89ABJJ(29)
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Ko-Ko the Clown was a Fleischer Studios animated character years before Betty Boop came along. Once Betty Boop was introduced she became the star attraction at Fleischer Studios & Ko-Ko was more of a secondary character. Ko-Ko was the signature character of the studio whose production company was called Out of the Inkwell Films. The short films began with the animator seated at the drawing board & pulling ink out of the inkwell on the end of a drawing pen & letting it take shape as the clown. The end would see the clown going back into the inkwell.
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PLEASE READ COMPLETE DESCRIPTION & VIEW ALL MY PHOTOGRAPHS AS THE PICTURES ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE DESCRIPTION. PLEASE READ TERMS OF SALE & SHIPPING/HANDLING CHARGES. AUCTION SALE ITEMS CAN BE COMBINED TO SAVE ON SHIPPING.
TERMS OF SALE: EVERYTHING SOLD “AS IS”. I WILL ACCEPT RETURNS IF THERE HAS BEEN A MATERIAL ERROR IN MY DESCRIPTION. YOUR COMPLETE SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED. IMPORTANT - PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING & SALE ENDS. I OFFER THE STANDARD EBAY RETURN POLICY. MONEY BACK GUARANTEED. BUYER PAYS RETURN SHIPPING.
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ITEM WILL SHIP PRIORITY MAIL WITH TRACKING.
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