The Classical World
An Ancient Yo-Yo Toy
CHF 3.900,-
$ 4.409£ 3.481€ 4.175
Terracotta
Greek, 5th century BC
H. 7.8cm
A rare and wonderfully whimsical example of an ancient yo-yo toy, a toy for ancient Greek children as they are to this day. This version is a near-perfect sphere, with a pierced loop at the top. A depiction of the toy in action, suspended from a string by the hand of an enthusiastic boy, can be found in a red-figure cup in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. A gem!
Condition: Intact; some burial accretions.
Provenance: Formerly priv. coll. S.C., Basel, Switzerland before 1970.
Item reference: CL1364