Don Quixote and the Windmill
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Don Quixote and the Windmill

Details
Don Quixote and the Windmill
extremely rare fly-wheel driven horse and rider which rotates past a paper covered wood windmill with multi-coloured tinplate sails, in original box lid --10½in. (27cm.) length at furthest extension (G, box lid F, one end missing)
Provenance
Formerly in the Burtt Ehrlich Collection.
Literature
Art of the Toy Soldiers, for this actual toy, page 103.
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay


"This pleasing toy illustrates the old story of Don Quixote and the windmill, representing a knight clad in armour, and mounted on horseback, who gallops round and attacks a gaily coloured windmill with his lance.
This forms an amusing game by counting the number of times, or the different coloured fans of the mill he strikes, each player having chosen his colour beforehand."

Directions on lid "Pass the end of the lance through the stud on the horse's nose and into the Knight's hand. Place the Windmill on the wire support, and see that the wire enters the groove in the bottom of the mill. Spin the Top in the usual way, and the Don will gallop round and attack the mill, striking the sails - which are six different colours - with his lance, and driving them rapidly round. The colour which stops nearest to the SPOT ON THE MILL, WINS."

Historical Note:
The mounted figure of Don Quixote is hollow-cast in approximate 54mm. scale and could therefore lay claim to being the earliest ever hollow-cast toy soldier.

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