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 the Flood, and the wooden ark built to save the animals and the family of the 300 year old Noah - the only humans allowed to survive - provided material for a whole range of models. The emergence of the toy industry in Nuremberg and the Erzgebirge and the rapid production of wooden animal figures by mechanised lathes gave rise to a rich variety of figure groups, among which Noah's Ark proved especially saleable. It encouraged movement, taking things in and out, naming the animals and making choices between them.
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