A painted composition toy soldier depicted in a shielding or saluting stance, one arm raised across the brow and the other extended forward, mounted on an oval base. The figure wears a wide-brimmed helmet, tunic with cross-strap webbing and ammunition pouches, and puttees, with coloring in olive drab, tan, and cream tones. The base bears the impressed maker's mark "Elastolin."

Elastolin figures were produced by the German firm Hausser beginning in the early 20th century, using a composition material of sawdust, glue, and kaolin pressed into molds, and were widely exported for the toy soldier and hobbyist market depicting various nations' military figures.

Elastolin figures were manufactured by the Hausser company of Ludwigsburg, Germany, a leading producer of composition toy soldiers from the 1900s through the mid-20th century. Alongside its competitor Lineol, Hausser supplied detailed military miniatures depicting the armies of many nations, popular both as children's toys and as collectibles among adult hobbyists in interwar Europe. Figures such as this, showing colonial or expeditionary-style dress with wide-brimmed helmets and webbing, reflect the broader contemporary fascination with imperial and overseas military forces. Production of these composition figures declined after the Second World War as plastic toy soldiers came to dominate the market.