Marx Toy Co. Folk Art

This Wind up Circus Performer is an original vintage toy. Vintage wind up mechanical toy representing a circus performer. Made in tin by th...

Toy Noah’s Arks for children to play with were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, and Germany was very prolific in their production. This particular ark is all ori...

A solid Swedish wooden toy horse in original grey paint with remnants of leather bridle and jute mane and tail.

American Country (20th Century) carved and painted double sided rocking horse.

This wind up small car is a mechanical vintage toy. Very small nice car beautifully detailed and with his perfectly working clockwork. Made in Germany....

Lots of charm and good condition for this 19th century papier mâché toy horse on wheels.

"Dancing Bear" and "Dancing Pig" wind up toys were made by the Chein Toy Company, of New York City, circa 1938, about the same time as "Dancing Rabbit" (a...

Manufactured in the mid 1930s by J. Chein & Company in Harrison, New Jersey, this vintage wind-up toy depicts a boy riding an alligator. A wound-up clockwork key powers the alligator...

Large sized (13" height) Indian temple toy. Camel with rider. Very rare to see this size. India is famous for its brass and copper metal craftsmanship. It ...

The "Milton Berle" car is one of a series of "Crazy Cars" manufactured by the Louis Marx Toy Company of New York City; this one being one of the more prolific examples, owing to the ...

This Wind up red car is a vintage toy made by unknown manifacturer, probably model from 1920s-1930s. Original key not included. Surface lightly scratched. Mechanism perfectly wor...

"Articulated Cyclist Toy – Belgian Folk Art, Early 20th Century" Early 20th Century Belgian Folk Art Articulated Cyclist Toy Handcrafted Solid Wood — Rare Colonial-Era Subject — Mechanically Designed Pedaling Motion (Belt Missing) Description A rare and remarkable early 20th-century Belgian folk art toy, hand-carved entirely from solid wood, depicting a stylized Black cyclist mounted on a painted green bicycle. The figure is fully articulated and was originally designed with a mechanical belt-drive system (now absent) connecting the foot pedals to the rear wheel. When pushed forward, the toy was engineered to simulate a realistic cycling motion, animating the rider's legs in tandem with the rotation of the wheels. Materials & Construction Primary material: Solid wood (no plywood or laminates) Figure & Bicycle: Fully carved, hand-painted in polychrome (green, red, black, ochre) Mechanical features: Jointed limbs designed to move with crankshaft motion Metal-spoked wheels on rotating axles Pulley attachment points for original belt-drive (belt now missing) Dimensions: Length: 53 cm Height: 42 cm Condition: Structurally intact; expected surface wear and patina consistent with age; belt mechanism missing but all original pulley points and joints remain. Iconography & Cultural Context The cyclist is depicted as a Black male figure in a red cap and outlined uniform, rendered in a simplified, expressive style typical of early folk toys. The toy likely reflects Belgium's colonial presence in the Congo during the early 20th century (Congo Free State until 1908, Belgian Congo from 1908–1960). Such depictions were common in Belgian visual culture of the time, often appearing in children's media, toys, and public exhibitions. This toy offers not only mechanical charm but also serves as a historical document, reflecting period attitudes and visual language. It holds curatorial interest for ethnographic, toy history, and colonial-era cultural studies. Dating & Attribution Date: Circa 1900–1930 Origin: Likely Belgium Style: Folk art, with vernacular mechanics and colonial subject matter Comparison: Closely parallels German kinetic push toys...