Torsion toy
Category
Toys
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, String
Place of origin
Jingdezhen
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 670250
Summary
Pieces of two varnished wooden acrobat torsion toys - one almost intact, the other in three pieces with bits missing. The finished toy would consist of two uprights with a joining bar across the centre, forming an H shape, with nylon or cotton thread joining the ends of the uprights, threaded through small holes near the ends. Threaded on to the thread at the top of the toy is a flat wooden acrobat figure, jointed at the shoulders and hips, who, when the uprights are squeezed together, appears to be performing on a bar as he flips round. One toy has only the cross piece missing, the other has the cross piece, but this is only attached to one upright, and there is no thread, so the acrobat is not attached. Total number of items is 4.
Marks and inscriptions
On the label on the cross piece: 'Made in/ The Peoples Republic of China'