Carved And Polychromed Wooden Carousel Horse

Elegant carved wooden carousel horse, depicted in a leaping gallop, head raised and mouth half-open. The sculpture expresses a beautiful liveliness, reinforced by the position of the limbs and the detail of the pointed ears. The body is adorned with an old polychromy in red and green tones, embellished with stylized motifs evoking a richly decorated harness. The tail is made of natural horsehair, giving additional realism. This type of horse equipped the fairground rides of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when fairground art experienced a great boom thanks to traveling companies and large carousels installed in towns and villages during festivals. Each animal, often hand-carved by specialized craftsmen, was a unique piece. Old patina and wear from use, witnesses to its history and use, give the whole an authentic charm sought after by collectors of fairground art. Repair to a hind leg