Polyester Folk Art

Collection of Lineol toy figures depicting soldiers of the Royal Danish Guard wearing bearskin hats. The collection also includes guard towers and dates from around the 1930s–1940s. ...

Wooden nutcrackers figure from the Erzgebirge. The region Erzgebirge formerly Eastern Germany is famous for this special kind of nutcrackers, where intricate carving has been their h...

This Lever Modern Toys car is an original vintage toy. Made in Japan by Modern Toys in 1940s. When you pull the lever to the direction of the i...

Kobe Toys are very mysterious and not much is known about them. They were created and hand made, strictly for tourists and foreigners (never exported) during ...

A handmade one of a kind American Hooked Rug from the 3rd quarter of the 20th century with an irregular checkerboard pattern Measures: 3' x 5'7''.

Steel toy crane with lots of appeal. It is plain and pretty, sitting on four wheels. The hook really works well.

This is a wooden antique board from the Meiji era. It is made of Japanese cedar wood. It has a beautiful appearance due to years of use and aging. It was used as a board for kneadi...

Wooden nutcracker figure from the Erzgebirge. The region Erzgebirge formerly Eastern Germany is famous for this special kind of nutcrackers, where intricate carving has been their ho...

"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...

gorgeous model of radio-controlled sailboat "VEGA," an iconic piece of nautical modeling in the 1990s. This is not a toy, but a large model (Maxi Class) with a streamlined, high-perf...

Seven Colored rectangular rug with organic pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand's Wool Hand-tufted Color: Orange.

"Lamb" cast Iron still bank is a re-issue of a bank made in 1928. It was made by The John Wright Company in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania in 1970. They...

Luxury Rectangular Blue Oceano 400 Hand-Tufted Wool Rug by Mohebban Dimensions: W 400 x L 300 cm Materials: Wool. The Sombra collection, designed by Miguel Reguero, celebrates the e...

Eight colored rug with organic circle pattern designed by Verner Panton. Material: 100% New Zealand wool Hand tufted Color: Tone-in-tone dark yellow.

Horse drawn trolleys or "horse buses" were the main source of "mass transit", along with trains in the late 1800s in America. Thus they were ubiquitous subject matter for toy makers to exploit as toys for young children. While many tin toy...