Photos really don't do this toy justice: it is one of the most beautiful items in my collection, and represents one of the high points of my collecting hobby. This 12 inch long German-made Noah's Ark dates from between 1850 and 1880. The set features Mr. and Mrs. Noah along with 2 sons and their wives and 29 pairs of animals. Included in the menagerie are horses, cows, lions, elephants, cats, pigs, birds, deer, what I think are moles, and many other tiny little animals.
In quiet moments, I like to hold the ark and imagine its long history: from the German village where it was turned and carved out of wood from the great forests; to its perilous journey across the Atlantic in a steamship, packed in crates full of other wonderful toys; to its time as a plaything for some happy children, now long gone...this is a toy that has seen a lot of history.
