Collection Highlights
Noah's ark
1850-1900
1956.101
Wood, paint
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Museum Collections
Luce Center
Noah's ark
Object name
Noah's ark
Date
1850-1900
Medium
Wood, paint
Dimensions
Overall (ark): 18 1/4 x 30 x 8 1/2 in. (46.4 x 76.2 x 21.6 cm)
Description
Wooden Noah's ark; brown painted hull surmounted by building with peaked roof and sliding side; building painted with blue walls, red roof, and features such as windows and doors; fruit and flower border below roof; hollow ark holds carved polychrome animals and Noah's family (6 figures).
Credit Line
Gift of Katharine Prentis Murphy
Object Number
1956.101
Gallery Label
In nineteenth century America, Noah's arks were popular "Sunday toys," that is, playthings with moral or religious themes that were deemed appropriate for the Sabbath. Most of the arks found in American homes were made in small villages in the Erzgebirge region of Germany. Highly organized cottage industries took advantage of the raw materials provided by the region's deep forests to produce huge quantities of Noah's arks and other wooden and papier m
Bibliography
Weinstein, Amy A. "Children's toys." The Magazine Antiques 167 (2005): 188-193.
Due to ongoing research, information about this object is subject to change.
