Acrobatic clown toy

This acrobatic toy clown was made prior to World War Two by Fairymark in Japan. Once wound up the clown would roll over.

This toy belonged to Eileen Sampson who was given the toy in the 1940s when she was a young girl of about five. Eileen had only a few toys but they were very precious to her. She kept them safe all her life and then in 2014 donated them to Te Papa.

Celluloid is an early form of plastic that was invented in the 1860 – 70s. It was commonly used to make children’s toys because it could be easily moulded and shaped but it is also highly flammable and melts easily if left in the sun. It’s use was discontinued in the 1940s when more durable materials like tinplate or other less flammable forms of plastic became available.