TOY

A Post Medieval lead alloy toy coach probably dating to the 18th century. This toy comprises a flat coach with two passengers, one driver and a pair of horses in openwork set on a flat base to enable it to stand. The feet and the lower front legs of the horses and that section of the stand is missing, otherwise it is mostly complete except for a few small decorative elements. The coach tapers from the wide top to the base and the rear wheel is larger than the fore. There are bars connecting the back wheel to the coach and one connecting the two wheels. The wheels have eight spokes radiating from a central pellet and there is a transverse ridge midway along each spoke. The detail on the coach is picked out in pelleted lines including a decorative swag on the coach door. There is a small step just below the door. There are two passengers facing each other, each in profile. The driver is sat on a seat over the front wheel holding the reins for the horses. The harness and poles are all depicted as is the near horse's mane, hair and tail. The second horse is only visible by the head which projects above the head of the near horse.

Forsyth & Egan (2005) have published other coaches, horses and wheels and fragments of them but there is no precise parallel for this example. One of the wheels (no. 10.12) is similar in construction with the transverse bars across the spokes but this one has a passenger sat above a wheel, whereas on this example the coach is suspended between the wheels with only the driver seated above a wheel. The published wheel is dated to the 18th century. This combined with the style of the coach suggest a date of 18th century for the above example.

Dimensions: height: 40.25mm; width: 79.10mm; width of stand: 7.63mm; thickness: 1.40mm; weight: 13.97g.

Forsyth, H. and Egan, G. 2005. Toys, Trifles and Trinkets. Base Metal Miniatures from London 1200 to 1800. Unicorn Press, London.