€3,000 - €5,000
A CARVED AND POLYCHROME TIMBER NAPOLEON WHIRLIGIG, 19TH CENTURY modelled in uniform with tricorn hat, rotating opposing arms, on square timber base. 56cm high incl. base Whirligigs, kinetic toys of carved wooden form, emerged within the traditions of folk art in North America. An early reference to one in Washington Irvine’s 1819 tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow suggests that whirligigs were well established by this point. Whirligigs combine the features of windmills and dolls; their paddle arms, activated by wind, rotate and spin the figure around. This Napoleon whirligig is reflective of the trends in craftsmanship of North American folk art following the War of Independence, which often featured imagery associated with soldiers and the military.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Free Registration
28.6% inc VAT*
Flat Fee Registration
25.00% inc VAT*
