Kikimalou's Indian rhinoceros collection updated July 5 2024

Haha, adorable! Those two could inspire many stories

Nice again

I love the little oddities, the strange ears and the little extra horn growing from the big horn and the hybridized species. It's so interesting to think about why choices were made, and it makes each of them so appealing in a character way (maybe not in a realism way, haha). I also really love the singing rhino family! What a pose!

the 2 horned little Panini is very cute! I wonder if it was a mistake or extra plastic?
What a fascinating read, all about the founding of these companies and how old these models are - your knowledge is amazing Christophe!

Caracal wrote:

Are you sure the Chialu is not contagious?!  

Ana wrote:

Haha, adorable! Those two could inspire many stories

Jill wrote:

I love the little oddities, the strange ears and the little extra horn growing from the big horn and the hybridized species. It's so interesting to think about why choices were made, and it makes each of them so appealing in a character way (maybe not in a realism way, haha). I also really love the singing rhino family! What a pose!

Yes, some are very realistic and others have a very strong personality. These are perfect for telling stories and rediscovering a bit of childhood.
Who had the idea to make such rhinos that walk while singing and especially how this idea came to him is a very good question indeed.

widukind wrote:

Nice again

Thanks Andreas

sunny wrote:

the 2 horned little Panini is very cute! I wonder if it was a mistake or extra plastic?
What a fascinating read, all about the founding of these companies and how old these models are - your knowledge is amazing Christophe!

Thank you Annette, the models of the "Animali del Mundo" series are of a rather coarse manufacture, this rhino is no exception to the rule. It is the only hybrid between a two-horned rhinoceros and a unicorn. It's a one and a half horned rhino

Tonight I present my second trio of singers. Unlike the Cherileas, they don't walk.
They are two Beton Bergen and a look-alike who lived in Argentina.
Beton, whose real name is BErgen TOy and Novelty, is a US company. It was the first company to use plastic, right from the start of production in 1935. It disappeared in 1958.
Amongst a production of circus and zoo animals, it made a highly recognizable Indian Rhinoceros.
The sculptor was certainly inspired by this 1923 illustration.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Not far from where I live, there's a museum called "La Piscine de Roubaix" which houses a fine collection of animal sculptures. Among the wonders of Pompon and Jouve, there's also a rhinoceros sculpted by Michel Zadounaisky in 1946.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

But back to toys and Beton. Most animals were first made in a hard brittle plastic of an acetate type called Tenite, in the later years of the company they used a soft plastic in bright colors.

The animal is stylized, hollowed out inside the belly to gain material. It features the brand's initials on the right thigh and has two ejection points, one on the belly and one that disfigures one cheek.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Its successor in colored soft palstic will have the same characteristics.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This Rhino will inspire an Argentine brand to produce a plastic look-alike a little less soft than the blue Rhino above. Although very inspired by Beton, it's not a carbon copy - as long as the original, it's still been put on a diet.
Also hollow, it lacks the other distinctive Beton features: nothing on the thigh and a single ejection point on the shoulder rather than the cheek.
The head is different, as are the eyes and throat. It also has a bunch of little shell knobs that are absent from the Beton.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The three a capella tenors
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Interesting selection of Indian rhinos-I think I may have an old Natural history book with the illustration in it!

Kikimalou wrote:

Not far from where I live, there's a museum called "La Piscine de Roubaix" which houses a fine collection of animal sculptures. Among the wonders of Pompon and Jouve, there's also a rhinoceros sculpted by Michel Zadounaisky in 1946.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

That bronze sculpture is stunning! What size is it?
and that is some extraordinary museum, with a swimming pool in the centre, how splendid and avante garde? I don't speak French but that's the word that immediately came to mind

I love these style of rhinos, they have such an elegant profile. And they are so full of character, and made all the more interesting with your walk around and finer details Christophe!

The Beton blue version is the one I prefer!

I like the blue one nice trio!
Interesting to see a chain of "sculpted after" rhinos.

I love seeing the original drawing that clearly inspired the chain of sculptures inspiring each other. I wonder what the original artist would think to see their work turned three dimensional in so many ways!

Thank you all for stopping by.

Yes Jill, I'm not sure the artist intended such a posterity.

Annette, the sculpture must be 60cm tall as I recall, but it may be a little larger... I'll have to go back.
I love this museum, it has some very fine collections and is housed in an extraordinary place, the former Art-Deco "bains-douches" swimming pool in Roubaix. When the pool was created, the town of Roubaix was called the French Manchester. The town council had decided to offer the working-class population a place where they could bathe as a family and practice swimming in magnificent surroundings.
When you visit the museum, you can still see the bathrooms and individual changing rooms, and hear the sounds of a swimming-pool in the background. For me, it's always a unique and soothing visit.

The Beton rhinos are very stylish. Nice that you have an Argentine version too, which is similar but not identical. I didn't know that Beton was the first company to use plastic. Do I understand correctly that the brown-cream rhino that you have is made of Tenite (rather than the later softer plastic)?

Going back to your "Mickey Mouse" rhinos. Are their ears positioned apart from each other because the mould consisted of only two pieces and it would be difficult to separate them if they were opposite each other?

I've missed a few posts meanwhile but this is the nicest way to tell the story of this hobby just using rhinos.
Some funny ones, some very artistic, wonderful to see all sort of interpretations.
In my opinion, those armoured rhinos with two horns are all Indian rhinoceros just with the wrong number of horns. Some famous brand did it and many others copied. I think the ones who were made to be versatile are those ambiguous by AAA, since there's no "legite" African rhinos in their range, maybe those ambiguous models intend to serve as African and Asian simultaneously. The fact is that AAA has a few relatively realistic Indian rhinos too.

I just love your singing rhinoceroses! What great charm and attraction that most modern figures miss.

rogerpgvg wrote:

The Beton rhinos are very stylish. Nice that you have an Argentine version too, which is similar but not identical. I didn't know that Beton was the first company to use plastic. Do I understand correctly that the brown-cream rhino that you have is made of Tenite (rather than the later softer plastic)?

Going back to your "Mickey Mouse" rhinos. Are their ears positioned apart from each other because the mould consisted of only two pieces and it would be difficult to separate them if they were opposite each other?

I'm not sure the brown-cream rhino is made in tenite, the very first models were very dark not creamy. All I can say is that tenite is a biological material and that the first Betons are therefore condemned to disappear in terrible suffering and deformation. Creamy is as beautiful as a new penny.

I think as you that the "Mickey Mouse" ears is an answer to molding problems.

Roger wrote:

I've missed a few posts meanwhile but this is the nicest way to tell the story of this hobby just using rhinos.
Some funny ones, some very artistic, wonderful to see all sort of interpretations.
In my opinion, those armoured rhinos with two horns are all Indian rhinoceros just with the wrong number of horns. Some famous brand did it and many others copied. I think the ones who were made to be versatile are those ambiguous by AAA, since there's no "legite" African rhinos in their range, maybe those ambiguous models intend to serve as African and Asian simultaneously. The fact is that AAA has a few relatively realistic Indian rhinos too.

Welcome back Rogério
Bicorn rhinoceros Indians are fairly typical of the post-war period, with only Pfeiffer and Hausser having produced them before. The case of Pfeiffer is interesting but we'll talk about that later.
There are also single-horned rhinoceros, but without the characteristics of the Indian rhino, or only to a very limited extent.
As for African rhinos, they will remain very rare in the production of the 20th century.

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

I just love your singing rhinoceroses! What great charm and attraction that most modern figures miss.

That's what I love about vintage toys, what they lose in 'realism' they more than make up for in 'personality'.

This week we take a tour of post-WW2 France, where a host of companies are set to emerge in the era of plastics. These include Clairet, Cofalu and Cyrnos.
Much more than Starlux, Clairet is the prestigious brand of the 50s and early 60s in France.
From 1953, the company offered a range of 80 zoo animals, which was considerable for the time. To this were added decorative elements inspired by the Vincennes Zoo and its famous rock. The ”scale” of the zoo animals is slightly smaller than 1/32, and the style is highly recognisable. Clairet is the brand of one man, François Clairet, who was his founder, manager and above all sculptor of the figurines he offered until the 1980s.
These included a small Indian rhinoceros that would inspire other toy manufacturers.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

In the 1950s, Mr Paoli renamed his company CYRNOS and also produced plastic toy soldiers and a range of zoo animals. This was not as extensive as Clairet's, and the sculpture and painting were not as beautiful as those of his competitor Clairet. But it was Clairet that Paoli drew his inspiration from, as this little rhinoceros shows.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Even though the Cyrnos is laid in the opposite way to the Clairet, the connection is obvious.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Founded in 1947 by Jean and Germaine Ohrensstein, Cofalu (COnstruction FAcile en ALUminium) is best known for its production of aluminium cyclists figurines of the Tour de France in the 1960s.
Cofalu also produced its first range of wild animals, some of which were inspired by Starlux models.
Cofalu is still in business today under the name Kim'play (which sounds like "Qui me plait - That I like” in French).
In the 70s, the company bought Clairet moulds and produced painted and monochrome plastic copies. Such is the case with this little rhinoceros.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


The Cofalu is thinner and smaller than its ancestor
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The three companions together, Cofalu and Cyrnos are both slightly simplified copies of Clairet. The visible ears of the Clairet form a cap-like visor on the other two, while the feet have become thinner.
The best fed of the three is Cyrnos, although it is no bigger than the Clairet, while the small yellow one is the slimmest of the three.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Kikimalou wrote:

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

I just love your singing rhinoceroses! What great charm and attraction that most modern figures miss.

That's what I love about vintage toys, what they lose in 'realism' they more than make up for in 'personality'.

Exactly, that personality and charm and character, things modern brands often miss but are the key traits that endear those old models to us!

Love the rhinos again. This interpretation of the species is interesting to me. Thank you again for your presentation!

I enjoy the limousine style of the Clairet models. Very long body and small head. The inspiration is even more extreme. Nice to read about the connections between these models.
Looking forward to read about the Pfeiffer and Elastolin rhinos.

They're very cool looking rhinos! And interesting story about the French brands, thanks for sharing!
To me this sculpture looks like a rhino version of a race horse. I think it's because of the proportions and quite vigorous movement

For this evening, I propose two small Japanese rhinos.

When you think of Gashapon animals, the name Kaiyodo springs to mind first: little 3D puzzles, generally very realistic, with the joints between the pieces sometimes a little too visible.

No Gashapon, no Kaiyodo, but a Colorata and an Eikoh this time.

Colorata, the "box company" that offers young Japanese a whole range of wildlife from all over the world.

In 2004, Colorata produced a box of 12 animals for Ueno Zoo. At the time, to obtain these figurines, you had to watch ebay where they were sold by the piece. This series remained mysterious for a few years because it did not appear on the brand's website.
One of the twelve figures is an Indian Rhinoceros in a slightly static pose, with relief enhanced by a line of paint.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Colorata will be offering a second Indian rhinoceros in its Zoogeography Oriental Region box in 2018. The box does not excite me enough to buy it and nobody sells the Rhino in spare on the web.

So for the second star of the evening, we'll be hanging around Eikoh.

Founded in 1971, this company entered the world of animal toys collectors in 2014, offering new animal sets every year, often inspired by Western or Japanese models.
This is not the case with the Indian Rhinoceros from the Miniature Planet Vol. 19 set released in 2020. No matter how hard I look, I can't find any direct link with an earlier model.

I made a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] in 2021 if you want to watch more pics
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Both frequent my jungle at 1/50 scale but have different morphologies, the Colorata with a compact body that makes it "tall on its feet" and the Eikoh with a slender body that makes it "short on legs".  
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I’m telling you they're small!  
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This will be my last contribution for July as I'm off to Brittany tomorrow morning. See you in August.

Two great figures. I especially like the Colorata, perhaps because it is quite similar to the Britains. I wonder whether the Colorata Ueno Zoo box is still in production; it is still regularly for sale on Japanese auction websites. Have a good holiday!

They're very cute! I didn't know about this Colorata rhino at all, what a nice little model. And looks good with the Eikoh friend.
Have a fabulous holiday, Christophe!

Maybe the Colorata box with the rhino you're missing is too expensive for your excitment because I believe you can find some interesting figures besides the rhino. I would love myself to get the dhole, there's no other. You're right about the Eikoh model, no inspiration from a Western company but that's great actually.
I hope you enjoy your holiday!