Couple of figurine Bear bottles dug in Toronto

Posted on 30 June 2012 by Ferdinand Meyer V

I received the following email and pictures of two (2) gorgeous green figural Bear bottles that were dug in Toronto. I like the color and while I am familiar with the mold, I am unfamiliar with the embossing. My similar olive example is posted further below.

Hi Ferdinand, I am not really in to bottle collecting yet, but I did some serious digging for bottles in Toronto with my son years ago, lots of fun!!

I got my hands on a couple of figurine BEAR bottles, that I can not find anywhere. That is when I found your “awesome” site, and found a bear bottle very close looking, but still different! I took some pictures, and sent them out to you, to see what you know about the pair!?

The bottles are 10-1/2 inches tall, not really cleaned yet, and green. In the middle (back) it say’s; “FEDERAL LAW FORBIDS SALE OR RE USE OF THIS BOTTLE”. The bottom (back) say’s; “CONTAINER MADE BY CIA VIDIRIERA DE TOLUCA, S.A.

Thank you kindly……..Ralph K

Read Further: Grrrrrwllll…….Figural Bear Bottles

Figural Applied Face Bear Bottle, DISTRE MERCATOR S.A. / ANVERS BELGIQUE / DEPOSE, Medium Olive Green, 9 3/4”, Smooth base, tooled mouth. Not often seen with this embossing. Circa 1890-1915 – Meyer Collection

About Ferdinand Meyer V

Ferdinand Meyer V is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design. Ferdinand is the founding Principal of FMG Design, a nationally recognized design consultation firm. Ferdinand is a passionate collector of American historical glass specializing in bitters bottles, color runs and related classic figural bottles. He is married to Elizabeth Jane Meyer and lives in Houston, Texas with their daughter and three wonderful grandchildren. The Meyers are also very involved in Quarter Horses, antiques and early United States postage stamps. Ferdinand is the past 6-year President of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors and is one of the founding members of the FOHBC Virtual Museum.
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2 Responses to Couple of figurine Bear bottles dug in Toronto

  1. Froggy says:
    1 July 2012 at 10:34 am

    I had a run of 6 bears at one time, including your olive example, but not this Toronto mold/color. When Jim Hagenbuch told me that a number of these bears were streaming in from Russia, that “soured me” on them, so I sold them. Oddly, the last to go was the applied-face olive green guy like yours. The best color run of bears I’ve seen is Liz Heckler’s(Norm Sr.’s wife)…if in fact she still has them(kitchen window sill).

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