Toy figure
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Metal and ceramic
Measurements
Each model (min) - 42 mm (length), Each model (max) - 60 mm (length)
Collection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 668467
Summary
Two model figures depicting stereotypical representations of Native Americans. One figure is made of metal and is kneeling, wearing a red and grey headdress and yellow trousers. The left hand is missing. The other figure is made of ceramic and represented in a seated position. There is a hole in the head, which holds a feather. A pin is fixed in the base. Toy soldiers have been popular since at least the 18th century. Toys were produced which replicated famous conflicts, including those known as the ‘Indian Wars’ in the western United States (1811-1924). These conflicts had been fictionalised and brought to British audiences via Wild West stage shows and later Western films. Caricatures in these entertainments informed the game of 'Cowboys and Indians' which became popular in the United States and United Kingdom. The representation of Native Americans in these toys does not reflect the diversity of Indigenous nations, and perpetuates a stereotype of Indigenous peoples as aggressive antagonists.