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Kösener Spielzeug Manufaktur

Silke - Educational Dolls, Animals & Teddies
Hand-made only in Germany



Silke UK & Ireland
The Only Official Website

The SILKE Collection comprises: Dressed Rag Dolls Jointed Dressed Rag Dolls Separate natural doll outfits Figures & Grabbers Music Animals Teddy Bears

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Kösen Office
UK & Ireland

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The SILKE Collection was created in 1982 by Elend GmbH in Gräfelfing near Munich. This small family-run company, founded in 1979, has always been dedicated to the development and production of stuffed dolls and stuffed toy animals designed for the infant age group. This Collection was created and lovingly handcrafted in house. At the end of the last millennium the brand was sold to Kösener Spielzeug GmbH. Kösen, well-known for its high quality realistically designed stuffed toy animals, continues the brand name. It now produces in Bad Kösen SILKE dolls and cuddly toys in world-renown German handicraft tradition and to highest standards.

Simple, clear shapes and colours will inspire the playing child's imagination. So it can learn things needed in later life. The design is influenced by the experience of educationalists, especially of the Waldorf School, as well as by many of one's own experiences. It is our aim to provide the right toys for an important phase in the life of a child.

Rag dolls and animals from fine fabric, baby and toddler toys ("grabblers") invite to be gripped and help and are characterised by simple and clear forms, allowing the children's imagination to develop freely.

The child should be offered the right toy at an important period of life, thus learning playfully those things which will be needed later in life. The basic concept has been derived from the teachings of reformed pedagogics focusing on the needs of small children. The concept was then developed and expanded to integrate the very best of both the SILKE trademark characteristics and of the Kösen approach to toy production.

The SILKE Collection complements Kösen's realistic cuddly animals of plush in an ideal way and will also be able to quicken the heartbeat of any collector.

Kösen almost exclusively uses skin-friendly, natural and ecological acceptable materials. If natural materials are not appropriate, eg. in order to improve wear and tear, for safety reasons or easier cleaning, synthetic or partly synthetic materials of high quality are used. This helps to achieve easy maintenance and durability. The materials used are beneficial to infant development. They provide the toys with special charm and personality, and their warmth adds a feeling of security.

In co-operation with the Academy for Art and Design Burg Giebichenstein, new baselines for the further development of the Collection are worked upon. Experienced designers now create new dolls and stuffed toy animals.

Silke toys are washable either by hand or in the washing machine at 30°C (fine/wool program), clothing up to 40°C, and dolls up to 60°C. All toys carry a label with washing instructions. The Silke Collection conforms to the European Safety Norm of EN 71/CE. All Silke dolls come in suitable cartons.

Child-oriented design and high play value have helped to win several awards. Carefully selected materials and quality workmanship are the basis for the Kösen guarantee.

Käthe Kruse left Kösen in 1949, and the last dolls were produced in 1964. Now Kösen is again producing dolls, picking up an old tradition of the town.