Bear

This bear was purchased when I visited Moscow over 20 years ago. Even back then, I liked the juxtaposition (good word for a Friday evening!) of cute soft bear and communist symbols.

Seemed to fit in with the theme of the Dickens quote, combining gentleness with strength:

'I have often thought him since, like the steam hammer, that can crush a man or pat an eggshell, in his combination of strength with gentleness'