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Wooden horse on wheels
Axel Nilsson1895
Nordiska Museet
Stockholm, Sweden
Details
- Title: Wooden horse on wheels
- Creator: Axel Nilsson
- Date Created: 1895
- Use: Västerhaninge
- Subject: Horse
- Physical Dimensions: w23 x h36 x d32 cm
- More Information: Horses in various forms were long one of the most beloved toys for boys. Child portraits from the past often depict boys with rocking horses or hobby horses, while girls hold dolls or flowers. The horse has long symbolised power, strength and speed. People were dependent on horses in many different ways. In addition to being working animals in agriculture, they were needed for travel and transportation, and not least for hunting and war. It was only during the twentieth century, when the horse faced competition from faster means of transport such as cars and aeroplanes, that boys started to lose interest in the animal. This toy horse belonged to a boy named Ivar Andersson, born in 1890. He lived with his family in a small farm fin Västerhaninge, just south of Stockholm. His big sister Alma, who was ten years older, sewed the jute horse blanket that belongs to the horse. It is embroidered in red cross stitch with the text FROM. Initially, the horse had a long tail made from horsehair that reached down to the hooves. It was later cut off by the boy's nieces, who inherited the toy when he grew up. The brown painted horse is carved from wood and stands on a base with wheels, allowing it to be easily rolled around by the child. Inspiration came from the industrially-produced toys that were available on the market. Mass production had just started in Sweden and as prices fell, the toys became more widely available to a larger group of people. Attitudes to the importance of play in children's lives began to change. More and more children received toys for Christmas or as birthday presents. Made around 1895 by carpenter Axel Nilsson, Västerhaninge, Södermanland
- Materials and Techniques: Carved in wood, painted brown, standing on a rectangular base with four wooden wheels. Short horsehair tail. Jute horse blanket with red edges, embroidered on one side in red cross stitch
- Type: Toy
- Rights: Photo: © Nordiska museet
- External Link: http://www.digitaltmuseum.se/things/hst/S-NM/NM.0287448+
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