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Friday, 24 February 2023

THE GREAT BRASS BATTLECAT MYSTERY

Like me, many of you will know that Mattel's Big Jim orange Tiger was recycled to create ...


... the green Masters of the Universe Battlecat.

but you may not know about its brass 'battlecat' relative.

I certainly didn't when I first saw one in Bradford's 4everetro shop, priced £125.

 It was complete mystery to me!

The friendly proprietor explained that they were basically fancy goods, which had turned up on brass ornament market stalls years ago.

Looking further into this mysterious feline I found, well, a LOT of them!

There's a whole cattery of ornamental tigers and looking at the many online discussions/ videos and listings its clearly fascinating to many toy collectors and MOTU fans.

For example, below is a 'Siberian tiger' I found pictured on Etsy. Looks like the Battlecat to me!

Here's is a Chinese tiger ashtray.

Here's a Chinese panther.

and here's a plastic tiger.


This classic tiger pose seen on all the above appears to be everywhere when it comes to toys and fancy goods. The MOTU cat is just one of them.

So, is the brass tiger a copy of the Mattel Battlecat or simply a very moggy coincidence?

What do you think readers? Can you shed any light on this feline?


Do you have a brass cat on the mantlepiece?

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3 comments:

  1. lewis p morley2/24/2023 10:08 pm

    Having been intimately involved with moulding and casting reproduction Battle Cats for a recent Art Toy challenge, I can confirm that brass tiger is a copy, right down to the way the tail tip joins onto the back ankle for strength! In other Battle Cat news, I just took possession of a vintage Henshin Cyborg Panther with a Panther suit still in it's bubble pack! The Cyborg is in pretty good condition, considering it's about 50 years old now! The neck ball joint is badly repaired and the tail is missing, so I'll be 3D modelling and printing some replacements from transparent resin.
    Stand by for Action, Moonbasers!

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    Replies
    1. WOODSY2/25/2023 9:55 am

      Facinating Looey, so you think the Mattel Battlecat came first, before the brasses?

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    2. Anonymous2/25/2023 12:34 pm

      definitely the toy. The brass copy has just been created for the tourist market and like so many 'fancy goods' and cheap items, its just been copied from an existing item. In my totem collection, there is a brass totem pole lifted directly from the early sixties Britain Herald model (although not modelled as well)
      http://wotansworld.blogspot.com/2019/01/47-britains-herald-model-totem.html
      http://wotansworld.blogspot.com/2020/03/46-brass-britains-copy.html

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