ZOOKIES

ZOOKIES

ZOOKIES

More whimsical than Whimsies -Zookies are big, chunky animals with bags of character. Zookies were a series of animals made by the British company of J.H.Weatherby & Sons Ltd., and first became popular in the 1950s. Some folk claim that they were made to rival the popular Wade Whimsies, though Zookies are much, much larger, and the majority are comical animals, rather than having the lifelike appearance of the first Whimsies. They were made into the 1960s, but by 1970, production had ceased.

ZOOKIES

The average Zookie height is around four inches, but because the animals are chunkily modelled, they seem far larger Some are found more frequently than others, as for instance, the koala, the laughing rabbit wearing a jacket, the tiger cub and the standing elephant, and consequently it's possible to acquire a reasonable collection without spending too much money. Prices do vary, but the more common Zookies normally sell for around £10-15, depending on the venue.

ZOOKIES

According to records, 44 Zookies were produced. The earlier models were illustrated in advertisements and leaflets, but some of the listed models don't seem to have been shown, and it's possible that they were never made. However, it's still easy to build an impressive menagerie of these eye-catching animals. Not only are they large, many are very colourful, and they are all finished with a high gloss, reminiscent of the lustre used on many Wade pieces.

ZOOKIES

Most of the animals have a cartoon-type appearance, with large eyes, happy faces and cute expressions, and seem to o a great deal to Disney influence. In fact, one of the animals looks exactly like a Disney character- the grey sitting dog with the lolling tongue is the spitting image of Tramp, from the Lady and the Tramp movie. And, actually, the baby elephant could almost be Dumbo's twin, if it wasn't that its ears are slightly smaller.

ZOOKIES

One of the tallest pieces is the giraffe. At five-and-a-quarter inches high, he is bright yellow with brown shading and markings, and has a particular benign expression. A similar colouring is found on the tiger cub and the baby zebra. The cheeky, standing tiger has an engaging grin, while the zebra has a coy expression- maybe he's abashed at being yellow, brown and black rather than the white and black of a normal zebra!

ZOOKIES

The tiger is four inches high, and the zebra just a quarter of an inch shorter.

As with the other creatures in the range, these pieces were clearly stamped 'Weatherby, Hanley England' on their bases. Sometimes 'Hanley' was omitted.

J.H.Weatherby & Sons Ltd., Falcon Works, was founded in 1891.

ZOOKIES

Based in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, it is still flourishing today.

Weatherby initially produced tableware, vases and toilet sets,

before later supplying china to hotels and caterers.

After the Second World War, the company moved into the giftware line, where, as well as Zookies, it produced 'Beasties' (dinosaurs), dwarfs and various, life­like animals as well as 'Chuckleheads' (cups shaped as animals) and tableware decorated with gonks and Daleks. It is not related to the Falcon Pottery,Longton, familiar to SylvaC collectors.

ZOOKIES

The laughing rabbit (some people call him a dog but he definitely has bunny teeth), is one of the .

The longest Zookie is probably the crocodile at six-and-a- quarter inches in length. Open mouthed, he reveals his crimson tongue and a suggestion of teeth.

This handsome fellow's skin is a blend of olive and yellow-green, while his throat is yellow. All Zookies were hand painted, and the shading and blending of colours is impressive.

ZOOKIES

As with other hand painted ware, colouring does vary from piece to piece, but it must be said that the majority of these character creatures are extremely well finished, with the colours helping to emphasise the texture- as for instance, the happy- eared dog.

This funny little mutt with flyaway ears, lolling tongue and large, upward-glancing eyes, has the fur moulded on in a series of squiggly lines.

ZOOKIES

His semi-translucent brown, black and grey colouring enable the texture to be clearly defined. most easily found Zookies. This comical, open-mouthed rabbit with droopy ears is, for some reason, wearing a jacket with one large button.

His jacket can be found in either a dark red or bright green, but in both cases the rabbit is glossy brown. He is four inches tall, but like the rest of the series, so stockily modelled that he appears mush larger.

Another common piece is the cute koala. Not quite so characterised, he is still a lovely model, and is nutmeg brown.

The piece has smaller eyes than many of the Zookies, and also sports a typical, flat, black koala nose. The adorable lamb has been sculpted in a bent-legs pose to look like he is about to spring, and is cleverly textured so that his fleece has a nubbly appearance. In white, light grey and brown, he stands three- and-a-quarter inches high.

ZOOKIES

Birds are represented by the toucan, penguin, pelican and two kinds of duck (one tall and thin, one short and fat). Dogs were quite popular- as well as the ones already mentioned, there are a dachshund, poodle, boxer pup and a sad spaniel holding up a bandaged paw.

Other Zoo-type animals include a hippopotamus, skunk, seal, monkey and a super splayed- leg baby camel. Probably the most unusual creature in the design sense is a merry-looking fish, modelled in a curvy pose, three inches high.

A serene frog with his front legs neatly clasped, a grinning tortoise, a bambi-esque fawn, a kitten playing with a ball and a young horse are amongst the other known Zookies models.