General Antiques and Collectibles Spring Auction
Lot 460:
Description
C-14264
c. 1920s-1930s; K. Arnold & Co. – Nuremberg, Germany Lithographed tinplate figure of a tradesman at a grinding wheel, from the Handarbeiter ("Handworker") series. Produced in Bavaria by Arnold Toys, this flat-profile mechanical toy is part of a line celebrating traditional European trades. The figure depicts a worker engaged in sharpening at a grindstone, rendered in expressive lithography and posed in a stance of focused labor. Typical of the series, the toy features a simple mechanical action-either crank-operated or spring-driven (unverified)-bringing the vignette to life. Marked "Bavaria" on the underside, this piece reflects Arnold’s commitment to honest depictions of working-class trades through richly colored, functional forms. A standout from one of Germany’s most charming interwar toy lines.
This toy has some paint loss and oxidation throughout the piece lend a time-earned patina without obscuring its hand-rendered charm. Please refer to photos regarding condition.
4.75" L x 3" W x 4.25" H
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