Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Visit Tim's Toy Shop, at grand-illusions.com
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Wooden automata! Two little characters walk to the edge of the table. It is not a wind up, there is no motor, and the table is not sloping. Tim acquired this several decades ago at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany. How does it work? Tim explains...
Two rocking automata. As they rock to and fro they look like waves and the little boats, or swans in the other designs, appear to be riding the waves! Again a product from Germany.
An automaton from Russia - the pecking hens. Hold the toy by the handle, rotate it so the wooden weight swings around, and the hens take turns to peck.
Then a bird and a wolf. Are they fighting over a fish maybe? Tim thinks this could be an old Russian folk tale - the Firebird and the Grey Wolf maybe.
Dancing bears! The same mechanism as the pecking hens, but in this case one bear plays the drum and the other bear is dancing.
More pecking birds, operated by a little sliding rod.
A walking man - push him across the table and his legs seem to walk! Tim thinks this might be a toy from Britain.
Finally a toy made from bamboo. Tim thinks this one comes from somewhere in Asia. Pull the ring at one end repeatedly, and the little animal animal 'walks' along, flexing its fore and hind legs.
Visit Tim's Toy Shop, at grand-illusions.com
________________________________________________________
Wooden automata! Two little characters walk to the edge of the table. It is not a wind up, there is no motor, and the table is not sloping. Tim acquired this several decades ago at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany. How does it work? Tim explains...
Two rocking automata. As they rock to and fro they look like waves and the little boats, or swans in the other designs, appear to be riding the waves! Again a product from Germany.
An automaton from Russia - the pecking hens. Hold the toy by the handle, rotate it so the wooden weight swings around, and the hens take turns to peck.
Then a bird and a wolf. Are they fighting over a fish maybe? Tim thinks this could be an old Russian folk tale - the Firebird and the Grey Wolf maybe.
Dancing bears! The same mechanism as the pecking hens, but in this case one bear plays the drum and the other bear is dancing.
More pecking birds, operated by a little sliding rod.
A walking man - push him across the table and his legs seem to walk! Tim thinks this might be a toy from Britain.
Finally a toy made from bamboo. Tim thinks this one comes from somewhere in Asia. Pull the ring at one end repeatedly, and the little animal animal 'walks' along, flexing its fore and hind legs.
