5 Pc Munchner Kindl Souvenir Figurine Ashtray Pocket Knife Munich Child Monk

Description

Set of 5 mid to late 20th century souvenir items from Munchen (Munich), Germany featuring the Munchner Kindl (Munich Child). Set includes: Goebel music box figurine (TMK-5 Last Bee mark - circa 1972-79) with works by Superstar Switzerland - "In Munchen steht ein Hofbrauhaus" (There is a Hofbrauhaus in Munich), small ceramic figurine / salt shaker (attributed to Goebel - unmarked), Rostfrei stainless steel and mother of pearl two blade pocket knife, triangular porcelain ashtray by Plankenhammer Bavaria, and circular ashtray with metal rim (unmarked).

"Münchner Kindl, meaning "Munich child" in the Bavarian dialect, is the name of the symbol on the coat of arms of the city of Munich. This symbol has been the coat-of-arms of Munich since the 13th century. The figure portrayed was originally a monk (or friar) holding a Bible, but by the 16th century it evolved in different portrayals into the figure of a small child wearing a pointed hood, often shown holding a beer mug and a radish. It has been theorized that the name for the city of Munich (München in German) comes from the term Kloster von Mönchen or "Cloister for Monks" due to the Imperial Abbey of Tegernsee--a Benedictine Monastery near which the original town of Munich was built. The image in its different configurations has appeared on countless different objects, from atop the city hall in Munich to manhole covers and even beer steins. The gender of the figure has also changed over the years: from a clearly male, to a gender-neutral child, to a small girl. Nowadays when the kindl is portrayed by a person - for instance, as a mascot for Oktoberfest - it is usually enacted by a young woman." (Source: Wikipedia)

Condition

Good Overall - Gentle wear; music box overwound

Dimensions

Music Box - 4.75" x 4.25" x 6.75" / Small Figure - 2" x 1" x 2.5" (Width x Depth x Height)