Basel Historical Museum has a collection comprising over 250,000 objects. A selection of these is presented here.
The scientists, scholars and collectors of the 16th century and thereafter kept Wunderkammer full of spectacular objects and works of art. Among the treasures presented are some that originally belonged to the world-famous Amerbach Cabinet.
Discover further Swiss museum collections at Museums Online.
Bing brothers, Nuremberg, ca. 1910 – Metal with steam engine – height with trolley 17.2 cm, length without flag 60 cm – Inv. 1972.178.
The warship is one of those mechanical toys, like trains and cars, that presuppose …
Erzgebirge, 19th century – Wood, animals lathe turned, painted – ark height 24 cm, width 55 cm, depth 15.5 cm – Inv. 1954.139.
One of the most powerful stories in the religious education of young children is that of …
Carlo Böcklin, Basle, after 1911 – Wood, painted – Kasperl: height 57 cm – ghost: height 55 cm – Inv. 1951.936.
In the age of electronic media the popularity of Kasperl has declined. Kasperl was first …
Silver, engraved, length 73 cm – Inv. 1881.168.
When the infant has grown out of the purely receptive phase, he shows an early desire to …
South Germany or Alsace, last quarter 15th century – Woodcut, hand coloured – diameter ca. 4.5 cm – Inv. 1975.48.
In 1377 a Dominican named Johannes of Freiburg praised card playing as a mirror of the …
Biedermeier, 19th century – Wood and metal, painted, length 49 cm, height 20 cm – Inv. 1914.411.
The toy coach, said to have come from Schloss Maienfeld (Grisons), is a so called …
Hilburghausen (Thuringen), Andreas Voit factory, mid 19th century – Leather body and limbs, papier mache, real hair – height 57 cm – Inv. 1900.79.
A child's unselfconscious, unsupervised play with a baby doll as a partner and object for …
Basle(?) furnished with objects dating from 17th to 19th century – Walnut – height 152 cm, breadth 100 cm, depth 57 cm – Inv. 1945.63.
Dolls' rooms like those shown here are called 'Doggetekänschterli' (dolls' boxes) in Basle. …
Basle(?), dated 1829 – Wood, painted – height 44 cm, base board 21 x 15.5 cm – Inv. 1945.63.a.
An engraving by Daniel N. Chodowiecki from the second half of the C18 shows two little …
Denmark, 1960s – Plastic, cardboard, sheet metal – H 36.6 cm, dia. 9.7 cm – Inv. 2008.51.
When the master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started a business for the manufacture of …
Ca. 1900 – Tin plate, glass, felt, wood; cardboard-mounted photographs – H 20.5 cm, W 19 cm, L 31.5 cm (stereoscope) Inv. 2004.179.1.–47.
In 1832 the physicist Charles Wheatstone (1802–1876) discovered that each eye sees objects …
Ludwig Adam Kelterborn – Basel, ca. 1845/1850 – Wood, paper, sheet metal, pottery, fabrics and other materials – H 134.5 cm, W 90 cm, D 51.5 cm – Inv. 1949.51.
This large dolls’ house built by the painter and drawing teacher Ludwig Adam Kelterborn …
Dated 1788 – Wood, painted, copper, brass, ceramic and other materials – H 38.5 cm, W 33.2/65.8 cm (open/closed), D 19.5 cm – Inv.1897.200.
Large dolls’ houses were an important toy for the daughters of well-to-do families from the …
Late 17th century – Silver, beaten and engraved; bone – L 16.8 cm – Inv. 1897.292.
Numerous portraits of young children dating from the 17th and 18th centuries show them …
Zurich, 1937–1941 – Artist: Robert Lips (1912–1975), publisher: J. K. Schiele – Letterpress, coloured lithograph – 23.2 cm x 17 cm – Inv. 2018.38.1.-24.
Globi is one of Switzerland’s best known cartoon characters. Half-human, half-parrot, Globi …
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