|
| GERMAN NOAH's ARK, with 60 animals |
£SOLD |
A German Wooden Noah's Ark is from the Erzgebirge Region. It is a magnificent hand-painted, flat-bottomed Noah's Ark complete with Noah and his wife. It comes with sixty one hand-carved and painted animals and birds including elephant, giraffes, deer, horse, mules, lions and camels.
Most of the animals in these arks are fanciful. Production in the 19th century was largely a cottage industry. One family may have made only horses while another only monkeys. The family making monkeys had probably never seen a monkey nor did it matter. Some families employed all members of their family making a variety of animals and arks. They were producing toys, not biology teaching tools so their imaginations were reflected in their animals.
Reference: Bethnall Green Museum of Childhood, London. "Childhood Toys throughout the Ages," Leslie Daiken (B.T.Battisford Ltd, London) plate 97.
"Folk Art," Robert Young (Mitchell Beasley) p.118 for a very similar one. |
|
|
| |
|
|
Website By: Red Dragon I.T. Ltd