Kikimalou's Indian rhinoceros collection updated July 5 2024

This is a good exercise, trying to trace the unknown history of Toy Major through the various models of rhinoceroses it produced and also comparing them with models from other brands. Toy Major is a global manufacturer, that's the way I see them, not as a brand that copied everyone, but I might be wrong. Often, Toy Major offers the same models or very similar ones in three sizes.

Kikimalou wrote:

I would love to learn and find more Solido(Bel) stuff. There are regular collectors' fairs in Brussels and I tell myself that it's only just over an hour from where I live, so why not?

That would be a very nice outing if you have the time.

Kikimalou wrote:

Here, at last, is a photo of the pair, and the resemblance is obvious - no need for a DNA test, they're related.  
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

When I look at the individual photos it's hard for me to judge their size, but the group photos is always exciting to see.
And adding in the brown rhino from your last post ties their size all together. (I'm always amazed!)
I like the expressions on these 2, both are full of character.

I like very much these Toy Major figures.
Big congratulations

Caracal wrote:

Wonderful pictures of 2 very close models!

Thank you Alain, very close indeed but the big one is the nice guy and the smaller looks a bit less peaceful.

Roger wrote:

This is a good exercise, trying to trace the unknown history of Toy Major through the various models of rhinoceroses it produced and also comparing them with models from other brands. Toy Major is a global manufacturer, that's the way I see them, not as a brand that copied everyone, but I might be wrong. Often, Toy Major offers the same models or very similar ones in three sizes.

Well maybe, the main problem is to know more about TM history, I will ask the company, who knows? What would be interresting too is to discover when Miniland start producing its wild animals series. I love solving riddles.

sunny wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

I would love to learn and find more Solido(Bel) stuff. There are regular collectors' fairs in Brussels and I tell myself that it's only just over an hour from where I live, so why not?

That would be a very nice outing if you have the time.

I would love to do it, there some mysterious Blegian brands I want to discover and Bruxelles is without adoubt the best place to do so.

sunny wrote:

Kikimalou wrote:

Here, at last, is a photo of the pair, and the resemblance is obvious - no need for a DNA test, they're related.  

When I look at the individual photos it's hard for me to judge their size, but the group photos is always exciting to see.
And adding in the brown rhino from your last post ties their size all together. (I'm always amazed!)
I like the expressions on these 2, both are full of character.

I'm doing it deliberately, because I want everyone to be able to appreciate the model for what it is, whatever their size. Then comes the time for comparison, which is also important, I admit.

landrover wrote:

I like very much these Toy Major figures.
Big congratulations

I was sure you would like them Fernando

It won't be easy to get information from Toy Major but asking does not hurt for sure.
Miniland started in 1962 as a kind of association of Spanish toy companies and later turned into an educational group. I remember asking them when I started, a long time ago, listing their figures on TAW but they were not able of providing me the release year of their models. They only confirmed they're available for a long time now.

The rhino I shown last week was from 1988 and not in the catalogue, maybe the series in the catalogue were produced after 1988.
I hope I will have an answer from TM.

There is probably no relationship, but I think these rhinos have some similarity to the AAA rhinos you showed before. In fact, I thought they were AAA rhinos, but this topic told me that they are not. It's fun to write a history of toy animal brands using rhinos as you are doing. When you have finished the topic, perhaps you can put them in chronological order?

For me, the similarity with AAA lies in the fact that they bear witness to a particular era, the very end of the 20th century.
When I started this topic I wondered in what order, what plan I was going to develop. Chronological order was a problem because some models have unknown or very vague birth dates. Alphabetical order was safer, even if some rhinos are of unknown maker. I ended up opting for a mix, with alphabetical order as a guideline but with enough tolerance to make comparisons between models from different periods and countries. That's how I feel most comfortable. We're far from finished, but I'll try to put together a chronology and perhaps some different presentations, we'll see.

Celluloid is considered to be the very first plastic, dating back to 1856. It is made from cellulose and camphor.  Its composition was improved to make it easy to shape and produce from the 1870s onwards. The material was then used to make film, table tennis balls and dolls.
Its major drawback? It was highly flammable, so it was replaced by other plastics.
As far as we're concerned, celluloid has also sometimes been used to make hollow animal toys.

Today I'd like to introduce you to two rhinoceros, one American and the other German. They were produced in the first half of the 20th century. I also know Japanese and French rhinos but I don't have any to hand.

The American first, I'm afraid I don't know the brand. For a long time I thought it was an American Doll, but the logo doesn't match. So it remains a mystery to be discovered. It's not unusual to come across her on eBay.us under various names. I like its look and its eyebrows which remind me a bit of certain Pfeiffer and especially a series of Kienel in composition.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Here is the stamp, maybe someone could help ?
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


The second is a Paul Hunaeus Celluloidwaren-Fabrik, produced until the 1930s. I discovered it when buying a batch of celluloid animals from a Spanish seller. The logo, an interlaced PH, enabled me to identify the manufacturer and to discover that celluloid animal toys were also produced in the main country of composition.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Even though they were made thousands of kilometres and an ocean apart, here they are together today.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Those are two museum pieces and I truly love them!
I don't know if you know this page about Dolls reference, there you can find some markings identified. Maybe it could help.

This really is an extremely rare figure. The kind of historical toy that is rare enough to be in danger of gradually disappearing into the mists of toy history. For me, it is also an unknown brand. Great, that you have found this rhinoceros for your collection.

This is the homepage of a collector of antique toys and antique postcards. It is called "Virtual museum for antique and old toys".
A wonderful website. There is also an article about  Dr. Paul Hunaeus.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Text translation in English with deepl.

ANTIQUE TOYS I - MANUFACTURERS OF ANTIQUE DOLLS AND THEIR MARKS II
MANUFACTURERS OF CELLULOID DOLLS... - Dr Paul Hunaeus, Hannover-Linden

Founded: 1890, production until 1930
The company made dolls and doll heads from celluloid. Dr Paul Hunaeus applied for several patents.

Trade marks:
a tree entwines the PH
PH logo, from when? (1909 or later)
1910 still trademark tree, also new PEHA
Natura (1927)
Peha (1928)

From 1910, the company also acts as a supplier of raw celluloid. Now mainly producing figurines. Boys must have been delighted with whole regiments of no celluloid soldiers. These toys became increasingly popular, especially before the world wars.
In 1916, toys that glowed in the dark enriched the programme (German Reich patent). From around 1921, the company produced rattles, animals, standing figures...
In 1925, Dr Carl Scheu took over the management of the company. There were now many new products on offer.
In 1927, a new baby was launched on the market (see photos below). The baby had a crank head (Igodi head).
From 1927, the company took over the programme from Kohl & Wengenroth.
In 1929 the company also produced painted dolls with movable heads and others with movable arms (D.R.P.). In 1930 the company merged with Rheinische Gummi- und Celluloidfabrik.
Dr Paul Hunaeus died in 1932.

This article is about the invention of celluloid in general and its use in the toy industry. You find also some Informations about "Celluloidwarenfabrik Dr. P Hunaeus".

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Here are some more informations on Wikipedia:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Very very very interesting

The first rhino is very artistic. The skin folds are amazing. Was it influenced by art nouveau?

regarding their age, they are in a very good condition! Two museum pieces!

Thank you Yvette for the fraduction!

I know this page about Dolls reference, unfortunately the US rhino logo is nowhere to be seen there.

Thank you Yvette for your links and traductions.

Roger, I also think the n°1 has an art nouveau touch.

Yes Alain they are two museum pieces in very fine shape. Nevertheless the American Rhino is very common on eBay, on the other hand, Paul Hunaeus is a real surprise, he's the only one I've ever met and he's allowed me to discover a new brand.

Perhaps you remember the slightly too skinny Alca-Capell Rhinoceros that I presented on [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]?
Now it's time to introduce you to his cousins, who are just as Weight-Watchers as he is.
Today we're going to talk about washing powder and also a little about France and Italy.

Nos. 55 and 56 were offered in France as premium products for two brands of washing powder in the 1960s. One was offered by Bonux, created in France in 1958 by the American group Procter and Gamble. It quickly became emblematic thanks to the presence of a gift inside the pack. So much so that the expression "cadeau Bonux " became part of the French vernacular.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


The other was distributed by OMO (an acronym for Old Mother Owl), an English company relaunched in France in 1952. This series of wild animals was also distributed in Spain in a painted version, but unfortunately I don't own the third one.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The two models are very similar but not identical, the details are more precise on the Rhino offered by Bonux.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


I don't know the manufacturer but, given the era, they must have been made in France.

Let's leave the laundry behind and head for Milan. After making soldiers out of composition, the Italian brand has turned to plastic. It has produced a series of wild animals that are very different from its composition products. More modest in size, in fancy 1/32 scale. Here is the Indian rhino !
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This Italian rhino was a great inspiration to a French manufacturer of "bazaar toys", who reproduced part of the Nardi range in monochrome flexible plastic under the name Feral.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Like the previous ones, these two rhinos are very similar but not identical, the Feral is smaller.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Bonux versus Nardi
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The Slimfast family portrait  
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Fascinating facts about washing powder ! It seems like OMO copied the Bonux rhino. Is this typical for OMO products? Was their washing powder also copied?

rogerpgvg wrote:

Fascinating facts about washing powder ! It seems like OMO copied the Bonux rhino. Is this typical for OMO products? Was their washing powder also copied?

I think both companies asked the same manufacturer and I don't know which began first but I can tell the OMO series is bigger than the Bonux one.

You definitely have to get your hands on the Spanish Omo... which is not only painted, but also made of rubber. Omo also has a miniature version, although the pose changes.

Great the Nardi, with that expressiveness and character that only some of the Italian and Spanish brands have! Besides, the plastic mold is not a replica of the compo :)

I know now the ferals's model!

Stripedhyena wrote:

You definitely have to get your hands on the Spanish Omo... which is not only painted, but also made of rubber. Omo also has a miniature version, although the pose changes.

Great the Nardi, with that expressiveness and character that only some of the Italian and Spanish brands have! Besides, the plastic mold is not a replica of the compo :)

Unfortunately the Spanish OMO rhino isn't cheap on Todocollecion, 5€ + too much shipping cost is very dissuasive. I can't see what is different with the French OMO smaller rhino ? Except the size of course

I agree Spanish and Italian brands produced a lot of animals full of character, the only other brands who can compete a bit are Domage and Cofalu.

Caracal wrote:

I know now the ferals's model!

My pleasure

I'll keep an eye out to see if there are any in my boxes....
You're right, I confused the Lavasol minis with the Omo minis.