Art + Design (Online) 
25 March 2022
Art + Design (Online) 
106

Uniroyal Inc.

Nauga dolls, set of twelve

USA, 1967-2007
Naugahyde, enameled steel largest: 18 h × 16¼ w × 4 d in (46 × 41 × 10 cm) smallest: 9½ h × 15 w × 3 d in (24 × 38 × 8 cm)
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $1,625
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Lot is comprised of twelve examples ranging from a 1967 Waldo the Great by Koszegi Nauga monster to a 2007 Nauga Baby. Decal manufacturer's label to one example ‘Uniroyal Creations by Naugahyde’. Stamped manufacturer's mark to one example ‘Made by the Great Koszegi’.
provenance: Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Modern Art & Design, 22 May 2005, Lot 257 | Private Collection, Los Angeles

This work will ship from LAMA in Los Angeles, California.

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The Nauga is Ugly

but his vinyl hide is beautiful.

In the 1960s, it became a popular advertising ploy to create fictional, charming characters to get consumers comfortable with new synthetic fabrics and furnishings. The Nauga, introduced in 1967, was a gentle but tough beast, with a hide that could withstand everyday wear-and-tear and was more economical than leather. Naugahyde, though patented in 1936, became more widely used for home furnishings due to the rise in mass production and consumerism in mid-century America. The Nauga appeared in print advertisements and even on the Johnny Carson Show and miniature dolls were made so that interested buyers could sample the wondrous qualities of Naugahyde.

Invite a Nauga to your next party. Punch him in the nose the minute he comes through the door. Spill a Bloody Mary on him. Get him with a pie in the face. Smear chocolate on his chest. Kick him around. His vinyl hide is Naugahyde vinyl fabric. It’s indestructible.

1967 advertisement for Naugahyde

Jim Davis, Garfield, June 22, 1981

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