Wooden Animal Play Set from Seiffen, Germany.
$195.00
Description
Wooden Playset. 90 years old. Circa 1920 – 1930’s. 37 piece set.
Excellent vintage condition. Every animal still stands upright with a little patience and all retain their painted features. A beautiful hand carved and hand painted play set from times past. 36 animals and hand made metal mesh draw string bag. Acquired in Neustadt, Germany.
Seiffen is a small German village set in a picturesque valley close to the Czech border, in the region known as Erzebirge – the ore mountains. Much of the regions wealth came out of the silver mines. The miners lived life largely underground in the dark. They yearned for the light that is still bestowed upon Germans, by the warm glow of the Schwibbogen (half arched candle holders) and candles in the windows of homes.
The miners carved these decorative items from balsam wood on cold nights. Mettenschnicht was the miners last shift before Christmas Eve and they formed a merry procession from the mines back into their home towns with lanterns and toys twinkling.
These multi skilled miners gave rise to a whole new cottage industry in Seiffen – wooden toy making. Their toys are unique to the area – all handcarved, chiselled and elaborately crafted. They are made to last, as this unique set has – for close to 100 years.
