Whale
Datenineteenth century
OriginAmerica
MediumButternut wood, paint, ferrous metal
DimensionsOverall: 2 3/8 × 1 5/16 × 9 1/4 in, 0.2 lb. (6 × 3.3 × 23.5cm, 72g)
Credit LineGift of the Museum of Modern Art
Object number1935.1200.3
DescriptionThe whale rests with its tail up. Carved details highlight the facial features and scales along its back. A long wooden piece extends from the mouth under the bottom and is hinged so that when the bottom is pushed the whale's mouth opens.Label TextThe hinged jaw of this animal must have delighted a small child. Many painted wooden toys were imported from Germany during the nineteenth century, while other one-of-a-kind playthings, like this example, were whittled in American homes.ProvenanceFound in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. This toy was given by Mrs. Rockefeller to the Museum of Modern Art in 1939, who in turn gave it to Colonial Williamsburg in 1954.
late nineteenth century
ca. 1870
ca. 1780
Late nineteenth century
1740-1760
1830-1880
1830-1838
ca. 1870
