This sturdy wooden rocking horse
(pictured above in Black Walnut
and below in Black Cherry)
is offered in three classic
American hardwoods, Black Walnut, Black Cherry or Red Oak.
All of these woods offer the durability of very hard and strong wood, and
each has its own unique beauty. Measuring 24 inches high it
is sized for the 1 year old beginner through the 5 year old
trick rider. Joints are fastened with Hickory dowels glued
into bored holes, giving the rocking horse a 300 pound
capacity. This over-capacity will ensure generations of use.
All edges are rounded over and carefully sanded. Children
begin rocking at about 10-14 months old and lose interest at
the time they outgrow the horse when 5-6 years old. Fine
Woodworking magazine included my horse in its collection
of outstanding woodwork in America. 24 inches high and 31
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"The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive ... and pass away, and he knew they were only toys and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it."
"What is REAL? asked the Rabbit one day ... Real isn't how you are made, said the Skin Horse. It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real ... It lasts for always."
From The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. 1922
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Black Walnut (above) Rocking Horse . $390.00
Black Cherry (below) $355.00
Natural Red Oak (way below). $330.00 |
Free shipping in 48 U.S. States. Other destinations please ask. |
Riding in the shadow of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square – London
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Elmgreen and Dragset
Powerless Structures, Fig.101
Proposed material: bronze
To be unveiled in 2012
In this portrayal of a boy astride his rocking horse, a child has been elevated to the status of a historical hero, though there is not yet a history to commemorate only a future to hope for. Elmgreen & Dragset's work proposes a paraphrase of a traditional war monument beyond a dualistic worldview predicated on either victory or defeat. Instead of acknowledging the heroism of the powerful, Powerless Structures, Fig 101 celebrates the heroism of growing up. It is a visual statement celebrating expectation and change rather than glorifying the past.
The rocking horse, a toy originally dating from the 17th Century, and later popularised in Britain, is here depicted in a stylized version merging a Victorian model with a contemporary mass-produced design.
The boy's features and gestures underscore a character that has its own 'infantile' logic, one that is not yet influenced by the classic masculine expression. As in a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, this 'enfant terrible' gently questions the authoritarian pose often found in the tradition of equestrian sculptures. His wild gesture, mimicking the adult cavalier, is one of pure excitement. There will be no tragic consequences resulting from his imaginary conquest. |