Child’s Wood Carousel Horse with Polychrome, Mohair, and Horse Hair, c. 1920

A very charming and colorful circa 1920 antique child’s wood carousel horse with polychrome finish, mohair saddle, and horse hair tail.

Putting the “merry” in “merry-go-round”, this child-size hand-carved wood carousel horse features a delightfully excited expression and a vibrant hand-painted finish of eight different colors. Matte buttercream body serves as a perfect canvas for the circus-like palette of five glossy metallic accents, which include faux-gilt. Two-person saddle is a regal shade of dark maroon mohair with off-white vinyl trim and darkly patinated brass upholstery tacks. Reins are a cognac-colored vinyl fabric. 7.75-inch-long tail is real black horse hair, albeit a bit more sparse than it once was due to an overzealous groomer. All of these less-commonly seen hand-crafted details—reminiscent of contemporaneous carousel horses by the esteemed Atelier Hübner & Poeppig of Germany—further set this piece apart from the herd. Of particularly interesting note is a hand-painted banner bearing the horse’s name on the left side of its neck, with the first part of it obscured by an old paper label of some sort. Our best guess is that it originally read “MOE”, and that’s how we’ll be referring to him going forward.
Made for a ride that rotated clockwise, Moe is nonetheless dressed to impress from either side, and displays handsome and desirable authentic antique character from mane to hoof. Based on the saddle wear, we can only imagine how many joyful children he gave rides to over the years. While Moe’s freewheeling and fun midway days may be long behind him, he continues to put a smile on one’s face in his new role as a nostalgic folk art sculpture. Hole for original mounting pole in the middle of the saddle is just shy of .75-inches-square. A previous owner attached a pair of metal hooks that are screwed onto inset threaded bolts for the purpose of hanging. They appear to be fairly easily removable should the buyer wish to do so.

Dimensions:
Height: 25.5 in
Width: 38.5 in
Depth: 8.25 in

Condition: Good Additions or alterations made to the original: Hooks for hanging were added by a previous owner at an unknown date. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. In very good antique condition. Paint with chips, nicks, marks, and age-related craquelé finish to matte areas. Structurally sound, with minor seam separation between wood sections but no cracks. Mohair worn away in spots. Tail missing some hair.