A 1930s Periclès Wooden Tricycle Antique Wooden Hand Operated Children's Car
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A 1930s Periclès Wooden Tricycle Antique Wooden Hand Operated Children's Car This is a great piece locally known as a “rammeur”, the Periclès company still exists today This excel...
Wood
1920s Vintage Spring Steel Tricycle Kids Bike
By Standard Safety Corp
Located in Orange, CA
This child’s bike is made out of cast iron. Built out of Los Angeles, California. Very hard to find tricycle. Label slightly torn, Pat. June 25, 1926 by what I believe says Standard ...
Metal
Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Tricycle Model
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century scratch-built tricycle model. A charming example of an English scratch built folk art child’s tricycle model. Constructed from a metal frame, wooden wheels, han...
Metal
1920s British Dunlop Tricycle Bike
By Dunlop, Davis, Slazenger
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A stunning antique 1920s tricycle with brown leather saddle, solid structure. Marked Dunlop, Made in England. Black metal color. The item itself is in very good riding condition,...
Iron
Indonesian Folk Art Toy Tricycle, circa 1920
Located in San Marino, CA
Indonesian folk art toy tricycle, a wooden driver’s seat with upholstered passenger carriage, wooden wheels encased in metal, operable.
Metal
Children as well as nostalgic grown-ups are still finding pleasure in toys and objects designed specifically for playtime that are, in comparison to today’s digital device-oriented distractions, far more modest in nature. Indeed, antique, new and vintage toys of years past — handmade folk-art toys such as wooden train sets, dolls, rocking horses and more — can be enjoyed by the young and old alike. In contemporary interiors, gently aging toys are wonderfully uncomplicated decorative objects primed for display in a cabinet or other case piece.
With their romantic appeal and frequent incorporation of natural materials, some vintage toys and folk-art toys are treasured collectibles, showcasing the beauty of handmade craftsmanship. Alongside other works characterized as folk art — in this case, visual art, typically reflective of a community’s culture and usually handmade by craftspeople working within a popular tradition — handcrafted vintage toys are historical works of art worthy of any collector’s mantel. These are toys that tell a story of the time in which they were produced and the people who produced them.
Like any artifact, toys provide a window into the past. The ornamental dolls of the Victorian era, for example, produced in Germany and England, made of ceramics such as porcelain and dressed in textured fabrics, speak to the fashion of the era and will add a pop of color and a decorative flourish to the neutral corners of your home.
Mid-century modern toys are as sophisticated as the widely cherished furniture of the era. As much as they thought good design for the home should be available for all, iconic American design duo Charles and Ray Eames believed in making durable and interesting products for kids too. Today, their Eames Elephant is available from Vitra and Herman Miller, and it doesn’t even require a digital screen.
Explore a unique collection of antique and vintage toys as well as folk-art toys on 1stDibs.
At Waddesdon Manor, artist Joana Vasconcelos has installed a three-tiered patisserie inspired by the narrative tile work of her homeland. We take a look at the cake sculpture and how Portuguese tiles have been used in architecture from the 17th century to today.
The streets of fin-de-siècle Paris were set aglow with colorful poster ads, thanks to the printing techniques invented by Jules Chéret. Now, the Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating this undersung talent in America's first solo show dedicated his exuberant works.
Expert Jeff Bridgman explains the history and meaning behind the twinkling constellations that have graced Old Glory.
The iconoclastic style setter displayed African and Oceanic art, as well as works by indigenous peoples of the Americas, alongside pieces by such major modernists as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.
Perfect for July 4th weekend, a new show at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution displays an array of antique red, white and blue flags.
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.