Hippo Tierharmoniker

This is a really fun figurine of a singing hippopotamus which is part of the Vienna Tierhamoniker (a play on the Philharmonic and Tier means animal) made by Augarten in the 1920s. These are some of the earliest pieces made by Augarten and this piece is from the original period! I have only had one other of these before so they are very hard to find. The hippo was designed by Karin Jarl in the early days of the manufactory. Superbly modeled and painted with just a little bit of color and a gold trim make this an elegant and truly fun figurine. The hippo is holding a book in on hand with a wreath around its neck while standing on a base decorated with flowers and a harp or something along thoses lines. The figure is 3.25 inches tall, 2.125 inches wide and 1.5 inches deep. The piece is in perfect condition and marked underneath with the blue shield with the crown on top as well as the word Wien underneath and Augarten Austria in a red rectangle. No numbers or other impressed marks yet so these are really early pieces! Please email me for more information or photos.