Minerva sleigh on the Münsterplatz

Unusually ornate by Basel standards, this Minerva sleigh originally belonged to Johann Jakob Bachofen-Petersen (1865–1904), a gentleman of independent means. The manufacturer’s plate tells us that it was made in the late 19th century by the Carrosserie Kauffmann, Reinbolt & Christé of Basel. The figurehead is the Roman goddess Minerva, who from the neck down mutates into a mythical creature. The front seat armrests end in lion’s heads.