The Toy Shoppe Has Offered R. John Wright Creations For Over Three Decades
The Toy Shoppe has had the pleasure of offering the work of R. John Wright since 1979. When Danny Shapiro, the founder of The Toy Shoppe, first saw John and Susan's work he was impressed with the great charm and fine craftsmanship exhibited. Each piece created by R. John Wright continues to display the virtuosity of the artist when considering fine and original design, beautiful craftsmanship and the use of beautiful materials of exceptional quality. As work of this nature can only be produced in small quantities, each piece is all the more special.
Originality Of Design
Every great object created begins with design. R. John Wright's design often originates with source material from famous children's illustrations as John and Susan have a great love for well-known characters from classic children's books. What is most impressive in this endeavor is that each piece created from these illustrations remains true to the original artwork. Each is truly the definitive interpretation of these most famous childhood characters. Their designs are also inspired by nature. The realism with which they create their bears, mice and other animals is matched only by their ability to introduce such character and personality in them without resorting to caricaturish extremism.
Inspired By The Classics
Established in 1976, the company has produced work based on the most famous illustrations of all time, including Ernest Shepherd's Winnie-the-Pooh, Jessie Wilcox Smith's storybook characters, Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann and Andy, Walt Disney's Classics, Saint Exupery's The Little Prince, Beatrix Potter's animal kingdom, Rose O'Neill's Kewpie, Michael Bond's Paddington and Sir John Tenniel's Alice in Wonderland.
Fine Craftsmanship
The making of an heirloom piece in our estimation is synonymous with fine craftsmanship. We have often seen an artist's fine design destroyed in manufacture. This is definitely NOT the case with R. John Wright. At the R. John Wright workshop and studio in Vermont, a highly skilled team of trained artisans puts each limited edition into production. Each piece that comes from the R. John Wright workshop is beautifully detailed and finished. Because of the complexity of these original designs, innovative techniques must be devised to insure that each piece in the edition remains consistent and uniform. Technically speaking, as charming as the early R. John Wright work was, the newer pieces are much more complex and innovative. Due to these technical innovations in manufacture, the designs are now brought to life in a way that they never could have been 20 years ago.
Each accessory that comes with an R. John Wright creation is also of original design. John and Susan are not content to merely use an existing object as an accessory. When the object cannot be created in their workshop due to the material or specialized skills desired, the company works with master craftsmen in their respective fields to custom make the final pieces.
We believe that these factors have been important in contributing to the already established higher value of earlier R. John Wright work.
Heirloom Quality Toys
At The Toy Shoppe, we believe that true collectibility is earned by the maker's dedication and commitment to design, craftsmanship and material usage. Rarity is naturally implied, as work of this nature cannot be mass-produced. The market has already well recognized the collectible nature of the work by R. John Wright. We believe this will easily continue to be the case.
Today, John and Susan continue to create and innovate with delightful felt dolls, bears, mice and many other characters at their workshop in Bennington, Vermont in the United States.
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A great opportunity to save on Steiff Teddy bears & animal friends!
