Antique TOYS Amsterdam

01/05/2026

萬物皆有美，但並非人人都能看見

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕
𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘴 (551-479 𝘉𝘊)

As it happens, in the new update to my website I am offering some beautiful toys which are inspired by Chinese culture and traditions. They are, however made in Europe, with great attention to detail and beauty.
Since these are toys, I dare say I doubt whether everything was depicted with complete accuracy. The designers, producers and graphic artists of these games and toys had most probably never been to China. It is highly likely that they drew their inspiration from antique porcelain and prints and drawings that became increasingly widespread as, particularly in the 19th century, travel from the West to the East and vice versa became more common.

The “Ombres Chinoises” have long been a well-known concept in the pre-cinema world. The shadow theatre originated in China, where it is an ancient form of theatre. The European version of the Chinese shadow-puppet show, was introduced in Europe in the mid-18th century by returning travelers. This small boxed version is made in France and dates from around 1830.

01/05/2026

萬物皆有美，但並非人人都能看見

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕
𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘴 (551-479 𝘉𝘊)

As it happens, in the new update to my website I am offering some beautiful toys which are inspired by Chinese culture and traditions. They are, however made in Europe, with great attention to detail and beauty.
Since these are toys, I dare say I doubt whether everything was depicted with complete accuracy. The designers, producers and graphic artists of these games and toys had most probably never been to China. It is highly likely that they drew their inspiration from antique porcelain and prints and drawings that became increasingly widespread as, particularly in the 19th century, travel from the West to the East and vice versa became more common.

The history of Chinese acrobatics is rich in tradition and dates back more than 2000 years. References to
acrobatic acts can be found as far back as the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC). Throughout China’s history, the art of acrobatics has flourished. The Chinese acrobat was a prominent figure in the circus for his ability to perform the most difficult feats in the most diverse positions. This toy acrobat from the Humpty Dumpty Circus originated from that tradition, is produced in the USA and dates from around 1910.

01/05/2026

萬物皆有美，但並非人人都能看見

𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕
𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘶𝘴 (551-479 𝘉𝘊)

As it happens, in the new update to my website I am offering some beautiful toys which are inspired by Chinese culture and traditions. They are, however made in Europe, with great attention to detail and beauty.
Since these are toys, I dare say I doubt whether everything was depicted with complete accuracy. The designers, producers and graphic artists of these games and toys had most probably never been to China. It is highly likely that they drew their inspiration from antique porcelain and prints and drawings that became increasingly widespread as, particularly in the 19th century, travel from the West to the East and vice versa became more common.

Chinese architecture in the 19th century (late Qing dynasty) was characterised by a continuation of centuries-old traditional architectural styles. Buildings were constructed with a strong emphasis on symmetry, which symbolised order and balance. In contrast to Western vertical architecture, the emphasis in China was on horizontal and diagonal lines, with buildings remaining low-rise and harmonising with their surroundings. Buildings typically featured sloping roofs.
All these features can be seen on the paper template sheets that come with this “Chinese Colour and Architectural Play” game that is made in Germany around 1850. The buildings can be assembled using colourful triangular tiles.

17/03/2026

🛒𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐳𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐣𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐭, 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐–𝟒.
𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝟏𝟎, 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝟏𝟑𝟏.🛒

28/01/2026

𝔽𝕠𝕝𝕜 𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕒 𝕠𝕗 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝔸𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕖 𝕋𝕠𝕪𝕤 𝔸𝕞𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕞.
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆.
𝙳𝙼 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚛 𝚟𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚝𝚘𝚢𝚜.𝚗𝚕.

03/01/2026