Old weird mystery toy ID help

[ungawa222]

Alright Clubhouse, I put this identification challenge to you on the off-chance that someone here will be able to help. A friend of mine found the vinyl toy below at a garage sale in Southern California in 2007. No markings of any kind to indicate manufacturer, character name, or year of production. Faint reddish color around the eyes would seem to indicate that it was painted, at one time. The anatomy would seem to imply that it once had some sort of costuming or accessories. It's about 6" tall.




My friend has literally taken this toy around the world trying to ID it, showing it to toy shopkeepers in Japan and around Europe, and has of course put the question to many knowledgeable folks here in the U.S. Its origin has proven to be a true mystery thus far.

Please post below or PM if you have any idea on this little fellow, or suggestions of further leads to check in with!
Thank you!

[WOLFMAN66]

It could be one of the Teletubies dolls just minus the red costume.

[temperflash]

Teletubbies was the first to come to mind because of the pose, but the nose and general expression don't look right.

Rather than wearing a hood or cowl the face looks to be a separate part that is plugged into the rest of the head.

[ungawa222]

Teletubbies was my friend's first thought, too, but he's pretty knowledgeable when it comes to vintage vinyl toys, and he's fairly certain that this toy is of an an earlier vintage than the Teletubbies' late 90s heyday. And, as someone who had a toddler during that craze and saw his share of Teletubbies products up close ( ), I can tell you that likely the only way this was Teletubbies-based is if it was A) some sort of bootleg, and/or B) had some sort of removable costume that completely changed the bodily proportions/profile.

Temperflash, though it looks like two pieces, I believe that head is actually one piece, with the "seam" actually etched/sculpted in, originally. I'll try to confirm with my friend...