1977 Hand Carved Painted Wood Folk Art Cat on Wheels Toy Walter & June Gottshall
Description: A hand carved wood and polychrome painted American Folk-Art cat pull toy on wheels. The carving shows a cat standing on all four with a ball in front of it on a reddish-brown painted flat platform having four wheels turning on wooden axles. These toys were very common in the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s in Pennsylvania German Country where they were played with by children of all ages. The piece was made by Walter and June Gottshall and is marked "W J G/77". The cat has a long tail pointing upward and is looking forward with two pointy ears. The body of the cat is colored in brown with black highlights. The facial details of the cat are carved into the front of the head with colored highlights. The details of the face show eyes with pupils, a nose, and a carved mouth with black whiskers above it. The carving is made in the best tradition of Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art tradition common in Southeastern Pennsylvania and especially Lancaster County, where this piece was acquired. A nice piece of American folk art to add to your Americana Collection. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: 1977.
Origin: Purchased at an estate auction in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Size: Measures ~4" at its highest with the base being ~6 1/8" by ~3" with the wheels being ~3/4" in diameter. The cat itself is ~4 1/2" long, ~1 1/4" at its widest, and ~3 3/4" at its highest. The piece weighs about 3.5 ounces.
Maker: Walter and June Gottshall.
Marks: Marked "W J G/77" on the bottom of the base.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: Truly a nice and interesting piece of American folk art, which would make a worthy addition to your collection of Folk Artt pieces. Condition: The carving is in fine condition and would display nicely. It has several breaks namely at the tip of the tail and the tip of both ears. In addition, the back right leg of the cat was broken and glued together as can be seen in the photos. The piece has minor scratches and minor dings. The colors of the cat are a bit confusing, since it has areas that appear uncolored such as on the cat's back and half the face and areas which are colored in brown with black highlights. We are not sure if this coloring scheme was intentional or the colors were removed after the piece was made. Finally, note the protruding nail holding the cat to the base and the head of the screw holding the ball to the base. Because of the damage and the coloring issues we are selling the piece AS IS at a fraction of its true value. all in all, this is a nice piece of American folk art at a truly reasonable price. Please see photos for additional condition information.
