Help with my antique wooden childs rocking horse

[Kevlardini]

I just picked this cool rocking horse up at a yard sale for $20. I've seen similar ones in antique stores and in catalogs as handmade folk art rocking horses. I'm pretty sure this is handmade, based on how the body is carved out of a big chunk of wood, and the legs seem to be recycled from old table legs. The fabric looks real old and has obviously been through some rough time. Is there a way to date him? I wasn't sure if hew was late 19th century or early 20th century. Any other useful information anyone knows would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

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[jewelerguy]

20 bucks?!! what a steal. the overall look and shape of everything from the runners to the body of the horse to the saddle screams 1850's to me but I could be way off.

 

[Red James Cash]

A quick easy way is to check any screws.Any philips screws = flag.

 

[Kevlardini]

A quick easy way is to check any screws.Any philips screws = flag.

No Philips head screws on this horse! Only flatheads and nails

 

[duggap]

And are they old square, cut nails? I kind of like that date of 1850s.

 

[Kevlardini]

20 bucks?!! what a steal. the overall look and shape of everything from the runners to the body of the horse to the saddle screams 1850's to me but I could be way off.

That's exactly what I thought! $20 bucks just seemed too good to be true! Now it's time to get rid of something else big, because this horse is definitely part of the collection! And that would be really cool if it turned out to be from around the 1850's!

 

[Kevlardini]

And are they old square, cut nails? I kind of like that date of 1850s.

Here's a picture of some of the nails:


The heads aren't perfectly round, which leads me to believe they are more likely hand cut rather than mass produced. I would take one out, but the wood is fragile and could break.

 

[Breezie]

What a great score on an antique rocking horse! My bet the seat burlap and is stuffed with straw, hair, or sawdust, which was typical during the Victorian period and up to the turn of the century.

Neat find
Breezie

 

[Red James Cash]

See if you can possibly get a screw out.Hand cut screws,the threads are unevenly spaced,the slots in the head of the screw for the screw driver are usually off center a bit.

 

[kingskid1611]

I'd be afraid to take it apart and not be able to get it back together. What a wonderful buy and even more wonderful treasure. Congrats!

 

[Kevlardini]

See if you can possibly get a screw out.Hand cut screws,the threads are unevenly spaced,the slots in the head of the screw for the screw driver are usually off center a bit.

After looking at the screw heads, it appears the slots are a bit off center. Each screw head also isn't a perfect circle. Maybe they are just really worn. One of them however looks newer because it's symmetrical. But here are some pics: