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THE
JOHN DARCY NOBLE COLLECTION |
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Ruth's
Farm |
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Ruth's
Farm is a splendid
toy! A gift to little Ruth, an English country girl, on the occasion of her tenth birthday in 1902, its' giver was a neighbor and also a very famous man, author Kenneth Graham whose works include "The Wind in the Willows". John Noble related in an article entitled "Wooden Wonders from the Grodner Tal", the Farm's perfect condition can be explained because Ruth was allowed to play with her toy only when the Grahams came for a visit...which must not have been terribly often! A product of Germany's mountain-top cottage industry, the Farm is handcarved and painted pine and the paint palette is brilliant! No doubt, the colors were chosen as an escape from the dreary, winter work days. Ruth's Farm must be one of the finest wooden toys of its' type, in existence today. SOLD |
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A
complete inventory of the Farm's pieces can be found below with some
greater indication of its' scale in inches, but you should note, none
of the farm animals were repeated in the photos above. Take special note of the following remarkable aspects: The rabbit hutch with rabbits within...the milkmaid on her stool...the doghouse and the birdhouse! |
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Four
Structures-Farmhouse Etc. Largest: 7 x 9 x 4 Rabbit Hutch 4 x 4 x 3 Birdhouse Doghouse Farmer and Wife Five other Figures Watering Trough Pump with Trough Hay Wagon Plow Ladder Shovel Painted Fencing Natural Fencing Flowering Plants and Trees |
Thirteen Cows Largest 4" tall Two Rabbits 1-1/2 tall Five Horses One Donkey Two Pigs Two Goats Eight Sheep Two Rabbits One Cat One Dog Pair Pigeons Pair Geese Three Chickens One Rooster One Mallard Duck |
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The
Village Market |
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It
was the article "Wooden Wonders from the Grodner Tal"
in which John Noble introduced his own early wooden toy that was dear
to his heart.
This German,Village Market is a an absolute marvel. Still housed in its original oval splint box, the colors are artistically brilliant and the details quite telling. Note the women and their high-waisted gowns-the gentlemen with their tophats and waistcoats with painted buttons. Those fashion details date this toy to the years near 1810. Other tiny details abound because the toy itself was produced in a delightfully small scale. The largest of all of the stalls (shown above, left and right) measures four and one-half inches tall including the chimney...the shoppers and merchants all measure under one and one-half inches! Represented within the confines of the split-rail fencing are vendors offering wares such as fruits and vegetables, fabrics, newspapers, cakes are supremely popular and don't miss the butcher with his prime cuts! In all, the market is comprised of pieces that include seven buildings with vendors, nine vendors on platforms with their colorful wares, six free-standing villagers, eleven pine trees and five sections of fencing. The Village Market is priced at: SOLD |
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