American Wooden Folk Art Mechanical Toy "The Weary Laundress"

Live Auction

10" (25 cm.) Arranged upon a wooden platform is a carved wooden figure of woman with carved nodding head and wooden block body under original cloth costume, with movable right arm and affixed left arm holding one end of a towel. The woman stands behind a wooden table with tin wash tub, and when string at back of toy is pulled she moves her head and right arm up and down as though vigorously scrubbing the towel she is holding. Condition: generally excellent, costume is darkened. Comments: American, mid-1800s. Value Points: wonderful handmade folk toy with poignant theme.