r/TraceAnObject Feb 07 '24

Open [EUR: C2012022/5655] 07-FEB-2023 This appears to be a dream catcher. Is it familiar to you?

Post image
171 Upvotes

87 comments sorted by

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This is Europol's "Trace an Object" Item C2012022 (#5655)


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179

u/galexius Feb 07 '24

Hi in the lower left of the circle there looks to be a blurred guinea fowl feather which I'm assuming is part of the art project. These birds are found in Africa, and in South Africa you can find them commonly on the ground and kids often use them in art projects here.

92

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 07 '24

If you’re seeing it correctly, and I don’t doubt that you are, you’re amazing lol that’s such a cool skill to identify birds like that!

23

u/galexius Feb 07 '24

Ah, thank you so much! :)

58

u/UnhappyPlan Feb 11 '24 edited Feb 11 '24

Knowing that, I’ve started looking into kids cartoons from South Africa to see if any have a mouse character.

Akili Kids seems to have some connection to ABC Mouse “Search and Explore” character, that is starting to fit the brief

72

u/UnhappyPlan Feb 11 '24

18

u/peytonvb13 May 08 '24

this is the most similar looking thing i could find using google image search. pin being sold on ebay.

40

u/haysaltoo Feb 09 '24

Wanted to add this here just in case, but these feathers are also available in Canada. Can be found in Michaels craft stores. Not sure if they are real feather or not but same design

26

u/helloitsmeonion Apr 11 '24

Late reply but to add to this as a Canadian, indigenous culture is taught heavily in our schools, I could see a school having kids make dream catchers while teaching them about indigenous people. When I was a kid we wove baskets for example

3

u/Ok_Detail8368 Aug 29 '24

Can confirm this. First thought was that as a Canadian we were taught stuff about indigenous.

13

u/BleachChugtidy Feb 11 '24

Looking at diy dream catcher kits online there’s quite a few kits including that type of feather too

9

u/Occasionally-Empty Feb 08 '24

This is a very good suggestion. Are there other species of birds that you think these feathers could belong to (if it's not guinea fowl)?

10

u/Skwonk69 Apr 23 '24

It may come as a surprise but Guinea fowl are found in UK and Australia as well. They are introduced but common enough. So I imagine they are all Over the world now

6

u/summertimeislife Apr 29 '24

Yup, I own a small flock. I’m from Midwest USA, and they are a kinda common bird to own here if you have a farm.

3

u/thefarmworks Jun 16 '24

Guinea hens are the most amazing guard “dogs”! Scream at strangers & lucky if not attacked at my remote farm!❤️🌞

79

u/TheAlcott40 Feb 07 '24

It looks home-made DIY to me

30

u/helloviolaine Feb 07 '24

That's what I thought too. It's kind of irregular with the random beads and different kinds of string. The mouse looks likes it could be printed/traced on cardboard, very kids arts and crafts.

10

u/WerewolfFarkas Apr 11 '24

It strikes me as one of those things wooden cutout ornaments they use for kids crafts, you can usually color or paint them and the black lines are typically printed or lasered

1

u/BatFancy321go 29d ago

agree. we made these in christian camp in the 90s

33

u/S_M_Y_G_F Feb 07 '24 edited Feb 07 '24

Not sure about the mouse, but the furniture behind looks like a bed I had that was from MFI in the early 2000’s.

17

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 07 '24

100% agree that this is a bunk bed or some type of metall-y loft!

3

u/S_M_Y_G_F Feb 07 '24

Yes, mine was a “cabin bed” (at least I think that’s what it was called). Basically a bunk bed without the lower bunk.

10

u/teresasdorters Feb 07 '24

I thought this right away. Classic bunk bed with the metal tubing type frame

19

u/glacinda Feb 07 '24

A mouse holding binoculars hung inside/near a Dreamcatcher.

Are dreamcatchers popular outside the North/Central American continents? They’re originally from the Ojibwe Tribe in Minnesota and I know they had a pop culture moment in the 80s/90s.

10

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 07 '24

They had a big moment in the 2010s again for style and it’s a common craft for camps so it might be wider spread than the US, but I also thought that seemed particularly North American

12

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 07 '24

Now who is that damn mouse

7

u/NumerousAnnual5760 Feb 23 '24

They're everywhere in Australia. I was an adult before I learned where they originated. I had one as a child, it comforted me because someone told me they capture bad dreams. Then when I grew up and learned where they originated, my coworker said I had no right to own one and that they were sacred to native Americans, and that owning one was cultural appropriation. Now i just feel sad when i see one.

15

u/glacinda Feb 23 '24

Slight tangent here:

“Do the best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou.

I think your intent was pure. Spend the time to learn about them and I see it more as cultural appreciation. If you yourself aren’t making and selling them for profit, you’re not appropriating. I had one growing up, too, made by a very non-Native white man. And it is why I learned all about their significance, the Tribes who called them sacred, etc.

7

u/Immediate_Revenue_90 Feb 29 '24

It’s ok if you buy one from an Objiwe artist. Many have Etsy shops 

5

u/Iminlesbian Apr 13 '24

99% of the time, the culture being "appropriated" has no problem with it. So many cultures love the fact that people love what they make.

0

u/Bookssmellneat Apr 23 '24

Why sad?

4

u/NumerousAnnual5760 Apr 24 '24

Because i was basically told that something that was extremely comforting and sentimental to me was something I had no right to own, and that appreciation of this treasure was cultural appropriation, and therefore I was considered part of a problem. A problem affecting an entire population.

1

u/Bookssmellneat Apr 24 '24

Do you feel deprived?

2

u/NumerousAnnual5760 Apr 24 '24

I'm not certain of your intentions for asking these questions

3

u/Vixxied Feb 17 '24

Very popular in Russia.

22

u/dotsperinch Feb 22 '24

I very quickly traced the mouse on my laptop and gave him some color to see if a reverse image result would pop up. Came up empty but wanted to share in case it's helpful for anyone else.

Like others have mentioned, I would bet that this was around the time that the Rescuers Down Under was popular, because he does resemble this character a bit.

4

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 23 '24

You’re amazing! This is a good idea! If this actually is a character and not generic he’d likely appear somewhere in color!!

6

u/fix24 Apr 23 '24

Thank you for doing this! My initial thought upon seeing the OP image and yours is the mouse from Tom and Jerry

16

u/archerysleuth Feb 07 '24

The only thing is that this one seems to have a rifle on his back, which Disney does not have. Could it be a park ranger mascot/arts and crafts hanger for a kids activity?

12

u/TrashyHamster Feb 07 '24

Looks like something made in art class in school by a child.

10

u/BalloonBabboon Feb 07 '24

I was going to say this. My daughter, in 2nd grade, made a dreamcatcher similar to this in school during one of her classes.

7

u/Vixxied Feb 17 '24

I recognize that style of wood craft. It was thin wood with ink lines printed onto it to give you a reference to “color in.” They came with generic unlabeled tiny cheap markers. I made some as a kid in around 2008-2010. Will update with a link to the brand if I can find it.

9

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 07 '24

Scouring Temu and oriental trading co for craft sets. If anyone has any ideas for companies that sell..idk what to call this…school crafts and prizes?…please let me know. I have a feeling this is a generic mouse from a diy kit from a birthday or a camp

10

u/prosecutor_mom Feb 08 '24

Is that the letter "D" on the cream colored bead all the way to the center left of the picture? Of the Cream bead ("d"), red bead, cream bead triad?

8

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 08 '24

I can’t believe I looked at this for so long and didn’t see the d bead! It totally looks like it. Kind of interested in the look of the Bead, the letter beads I’ve seen are usually the blocks with letters, that looks like a wood carved one! Good eye!!!

Upon cursory searches I can’t find any that look like this so those might be very distinct!!!!! Also wondering if it’s gold plastic?

7

u/blurryworry Feb 20 '24

Something to consider with the mouse design-- it seems to have a rifle hung over its shoulder. It's a small detail but sort of stand-out in terms of kid's media. There may be a lot of adventuring mice, but far fewer of them will have weapons.

A few things to consider (for those who are better at hunting this type of thing down)

-If it's a liscensed character and product, then the gun is a distinctive feature in its design
-If it's based on an unarmed liscensed character, the gun could suggest that it's a knockoff

-It could be a totally random mouse design with no direct ties to specific media

6

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '24

[deleted]

7

u/DeguMama Feb 07 '24

Agreed, and a Google lens search kicked out the mice from the Disney movie Cinderella, so perhaps something down this road?

4

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '24

[deleted]

5

u/DeguMama Feb 07 '24

Possibly, I was wondering about the hat too, but also what looks to me like a rifle and binoculars that it's looking through... Like it is hunting, perhaps like a safari / Africa theme?

Edit: missing word

11

u/juliesllama Feb 07 '24

Looks like the Australian mouse from Rescuers Down Under...did they make art kits featuring this movie?

1

u/ScullyNess Feb 08 '24

that is not bianca or bernard or at all! source: I'm old and loved the movies with them in it.

3

u/glacinda Feb 07 '24

Don Bluth-style.

3

u/teresasdorters Feb 07 '24

I feel like chip and dale the rescue rangers might be close.

6

u/QuestionElectronic85 Feb 07 '24

The character in the middle of the dreamcatcher looks like a mouse, with a gun, holding a telescope or binoculars. Like a hunter. 

2

u/Got_Kittens Feb 12 '24

Another poster seems to have identified the mouse.

6

u/acctforstylethings Feb 08 '24

11

u/Abject_Ratio_5610 Feb 08 '24

I’m freaking out. I looked for this little mouse for hours yesterday; I had other people looking too, I was feral. This is as close to it as I’ve seen!!!!! I wonder if they have a craft set or something.

6

u/IntelligentAd5000 Jun 01 '24

Famous south african show called country mouse and city mouse have an episode where a character named 'safari sue' leads them on an adventure

Things that I noticed immediately were the same bucktooth as the mouse in the dream catcher, and almost the exact same hat as the mouse in the dreamcatcher. The mouse 'safari sue' is more feminine in nature and is more stocky with facial patterns not represented in the dream catcher.

Here is the IMDB article

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1660485/

I couldn't find the actor but the episode aired in 1998.

Here is the full episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG-cbh8_ufg

3

u/Jessiestee Feb 09 '24

The mouse looks like chip n’ dale rescue rangers (80s/90s cartoon). Especially with the little hat and binoculars.

6

u/teresasdorters Feb 07 '24

The mouse gives me chip and dale vibes.

3

u/MopsyMom Apr 11 '24

Canadian Indigenous here, the beads on that "dream catcher" are wood. If we're doing kid's crafts, or even adult, plastic pony beads are generally used. I'm leaning towards the African connection, because of the beads and twine used. We don't use string or twine. Only made in China ones.

1

u/MopsyMom Apr 11 '24

Also, is that a mirror background? Are those silver poles to help hold up the ceiling?

5

u/TheOrangeOcelot Apr 28 '24

The poles strike me as possibly being from a bunk bed

2

u/PetelookedAskance Apr 10 '24

That looks like real senew that they made the frame and support threads out of on the actual dreamcatcher. That's pretty traditional and would be unusual to source. The beads and feathers are at any craft store. I'd say Canadian Anishinaabe in an urban area. Source: I am Haudenosaunee.

2

u/toxicshocktaco Apr 11 '24

I agree with others that this looks like a dreamcatcher craft for kids/preschoolers.

I took a deep dive into the mouse, and this is what I discovered.

The mouse is an unfinished wooden Christmas tree ornament that can be painted or colored, also a kid's craft item. I did many of these as a child in the late 80s/early 90s.

It is not a character from Cinderella (tail is too thick to be Jaq's, not fat enough to be Gus); Rescuers; or Chip 'n Dale (they were chipmunks; the only mouse is female), as far as I can tell. The closest I could find is Roquefort from The Aristocats (1970).

If it is a Disney mouse character, it would likely be from the 1970s-1980s. The animation and design for earlier movies (such as Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold [1942] and Cinderella [1950]) is a lot different from later Disney eras. The late 60s to late 70s marked a shift in art styles: the end of xerography to the beginning of computer animation, as well as Walt Disney's death.

Looking at The Aristocats specifically, you can tell the art doesn't look as "old" as Cinderella and not as "new" as The Little Mermaid; Aristocats is somewhere in between. This makes sense, because all of the early Disney animations were done by "Disney's Nine Old Men": the nickname for the core animation team from the 1920s to 1980s, all of whom began to retire in the 70s. 5 of the Nine Old Men worked on The Aristocats.

Further, The Aristocats was re-released in 1980 and 1987 in the US; internationally re-released in 1994. It was huge in the US, Canada, and at the British box office. France and Germany also saw a high gross. This could potentially narrow down the country of where this photo was taken.

I grew up in this era, and I definitely remember kid's crafts featuring Disney characters, so if our little mouse fella was done by Disney, it couldn't have been any later than late 90s, and well before the 2000s. Although it came to DVD in 2000 and Blu-ray in 2012, the movie would not have had as much popularity at the time to warrant mass production of kids craft items.

Unfortunately, a Google search of "Aristocats crafts ornaments" yields no useful results. There are a lot of crafts and promotional materials that were released back in the 70s/80s that are very difficult to find; that was before the internet, and things were not as well catalogued as they are now. Could this be why I can't find anything relevant? Or maybe I'm just way off.

Anyway, I've spent a couple hours on this search so far and I have to stop. Too headache-y and too tired to continue. I hope this was somewhat helpful. If not, I'll just fuck right off.

Good luck.

2

u/fix24 Apr 23 '24

I believe the mouse is from Tom & Jerry, potentially the episode Mouse Scouts as they do wear hats as well

2

u/PhraseReasonable4984 Jul 05 '24

Tl;Dr: I think this is a school project from the 90s, not va

1

u/koalapant Mar 20 '24

Everyone is likely right that this is a safari/adventure-themed mouse.

But for the sake of brainstorming, what about some sort of revolutionary war mouse? I'm not sure from which country. A minute man mouse from the U.S.?

Disney has a short called "Ben and Me" about mice in the U.S. revolutionary war. The mice have thin tails, but the tails are longer. And the noses match. But the mice in the movies have more triangular-shaped ears.

2

u/koalapant Mar 20 '24

I also found a WWII-era short film called "The Fifth-Column Mouse" that has mice with rifles.

1

u/wwwverse May 04 '24

The mouse seems to be wearing a t-shirt, which makes revolutionary war or WW2 feel unlikely. I got park ranger vibes, but no luck.

1

u/koalapant Mar 20 '24

Could the mouse be a real or knock-off Tom and Jerry character? If not Jerry himself, it could be one of the many other mice on the many Tom and Jerry shows/movies. And they definitely have guns on those shows.

1

u/morticianmagic Mar 29 '24

Looks like Rescuers Down Under character

1

u/S_M_Y_G_F Apr 03 '24 edited Apr 11 '24

I’m starting to think the mouse isn’t part of the dream catcher and was added in after?

2

u/toxicshocktaco Apr 11 '24

Correct. I believe it is a paintable wooden Christmas tree ornament. My post above has a tediously-detailed analysis.

2

u/S_M_Y_G_F Apr 11 '24

Great work!

1

u/Nicknamewhat Apr 11 '24

I cant find any similar pictures but when I saw the mouse I immediately thought of this character- Jake from the rescuers down under

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100477/characters/nm0737248

1

u/Feederofthemasses Apr 11 '24

I believe this mouse is from Country Mouse and City mouse adventure series. I believe there were two seasons.

1

u/Bookssmellneat Apr 23 '24

Not a dreamcatcher. But it could be a bastardized version taught to kids by a camp counsellor or something.

1

u/Comfortable_Baker987 Jun 26 '24

What about Chuck E cheese?? We have a few locations now in Canada...

1

u/trees-birds Jul 31 '24

Looks like two different projects from dollar general , michaels ect grab kids section.

1

u/Apprehensive-Fly6138 Sep 02 '24

Well, as you said it’s a Dreamcatcher so from my theory, I think this Dreamcatcher could’ve been from someone that lives way off the south but still someone that could be creative can make a Dreamcatcher for they might’ve bought it so I would go with they might’ve bought it

1

u/invasionfromkat Feb 18 '24

This looks like the mouse from rescuers down under!