Summary

Alternative Name(s): Boxing Toy

Home-made action toy made in Guadalajara, Mexico from balsa wood, comprising two boxing figures with swinging arms.

Throughout the world, and particularly in developing countries, children play with toys and other playthings which have been home-made, by themselves or adults, for their amusement. The toys are often made from easily-obtained materials like pieces of wood, wire and cloth, or recycled packaging materials. This toy is an example of a simple, home-made plaything which is very entertaining, and demonstrates the imaginative use of materials.

This object is part of the Dorothy Howard Collection, gathered by eminent US folklorist and scholar Dr Dorothy Howard, who visited Australia as a Fulbright fellow in 1954-55 to document and research the folklore of Australian children. The Collection primarily contains documents, photographs and objects from Australia and the United States. It is now contained with the Australian Children's Folklore Collection (ACFC), unique in Australia, documenting contemporary children's folklore across Australia and in other countries reaching back to the 1870s. The Collection has a strong component of research material relating to Victoria.

Physical Description

Home-made action toy made from balsa wood. Two boxing figures with swinging arms. One foot of each figure attached to metal spring encased in a wooden base. Spring is activated by pushing a wooden lever in the centre of the base, which makes the boxers rock forward towards one another. Each figure has black painted hair and eyes. Figure on the left has yellow painted gloves, pink painted shorts and dark blue painted shoes. Figure on the right has pink painted gloves, orange painted shorts and purple pained shoes. Base is painted pink on obverse and dark blue on reverse.

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