# Folk Art or early Production piece



## Phattiremike (Jul 7, 2020)

I came across this earlier today, I'd like some opinions.  The rat trap pedals, nuts bolts, worn leather and screws tell me this is not a piece made in India or a reproduction.  It's a one off by a very crafty skilled individual or is it a production piece?  The cables you see seem to go around the sprocket and they make the horses legs move back and forth.  Check out the rat trap pedals and chime in, I need opinions!! 

The price is very reasonable so I likely will grab it regardless tomorrow, to me it's a folk art museum piece.

-Mike


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## Frank and Pam Skid Kings (Jul 7, 2020)

I dunno...looks legit to me. Wear on seat sides looks consistent with small hands holding on for dear life. Pedals would date it to 1890's. Maybe European or folk art. A lot of wear and tear on horse, but not the way the repops usually are. Extreme wear on horse probably result of over a hundred years of moving and storage. Missing tires a good sign, rotted years ago, I'm guessing. Fake usually have metal/wood clad wheels. Leather rat eaten ?  All in all looks too natural to be fake, especially if priced reasonable, but I am no expert either. Good luck, I would probably buy it. Always most painful when you pass on something and then have regrets.


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## Phattiremike (Jul 7, 2020)

Sorry moderators posted 2 times,


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## Phattiremike (Jul 7, 2020)

frankandpam said:


> I dunno...looks legit to me. Wear on seat sides looks consistent with small hands holding on for dear life. Pedals would date it to 1890's. Maybe European or folk art. A lot of wear and tear on horse, but not the way the repops usually are. Extreme wear on horse probably result of over a hundred years of moving and storage. Missing tires a good sign, rotted years ago, I'm guessing. Fake usually have metal/wood clad wheels. Leather rat eaten ?  All in all looks too natural to be fake, especially if priced reasonable, but I am no expert either. Good luck, I would probably buy it. Always most painful when you pass on something and then have regrets.




I’ll be buying this before someone beats me to it.  It’s to cool to pass up on.

Mike


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## cr250mark (Jul 7, 2020)

Great set of traps 
Cool find


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## vincev (Jul 7, 2020)

Wow,what a find !


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jul 7, 2020)

Gibbs made similar ride-on toys.
This looks like folk art.


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## GiovanniLiCalsi (Jul 7, 2020)

Here are antique riding toys that could be related.


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## cbustapeck (Aug 11, 2020)

Major disclaimer: I know antiques reasonably well, but I do not know this specific type of antique at all. 

There's something to me about the seat that just does not feel right. It seems plausibly period - I have not doubt about that - but either it has had significant work done on it or it was not original to this piece, I feel. From what I can see in the photos, it just doesn't appear aged in the same way as the rest of the object.


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## The Carolina Rambler (Aug 11, 2020)

This piece sort of looks to me like it could be a home made toy.  But when I say that, I mean home made in the 1910s or 20s, so definitely antique and old.  You can just see from the way everything is aged that this almost certainly has to date back to at least 100 ago, you can right near feel the vibes.  I would reckon that it was made from some various parts and pieces of other older toys that were around or hand-me-downs, plus some home built components.  People were very thrifty back then, and did not let things go to waste.  This could have been built by a child's father or older brother for the youngin to ride on, and save the family some money.  Also note all of the old weathered hardware, even if this was built as late as the the 1950s, I doubt it would have such early looking hardware as this has, which is why I think it is at the latest 1920s.  The cranks probably came off of a broken down 1890s bicycle they could have gotten from a dump or scrape yard back in those days.  So, although I very well could be mistaken, I think this is an authentic piece, and is a nice example of an antique toy or folkart, it's just not factory built, but that's what makes it even neater!


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## Phattiremike (Aug 13, 2020)

I went back and looked this over again hard, I felt it wasn't 100% an authentic period piece and got the sense it was something someone put together years ago, I agree with @cbustapeck the seat did not match the rest of the horse.  I did not purchase it, if someone wants to know where it is and feels differently send me a pm for the location.

-mike


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