An original hand-carved wooden carousel gondola in elegant swan form, featuring a gracefully curved neck and wide, outstretched wings. The interior retains its double bench seat, along with the original red-painted wrought-iron safety bars, steps, and chains. Attributed to the Thuringian workshop of Franz Gundelwein, known for high-quality fairground constructions. From the golden age of European carousels (ca. 1910–1925), a rare and highly decorative collector’s piece with strong sculptural presence for interior or display use. The piece comes in unrestored original conditin with great patina.

The first carousels were created in the 18th century for the entertainment of aristocrats. The enthusiasm spread to broad sections of the population and the Vienna Prater was opened with a carousel in 1766. Germany developed into a center of carousel construction. Famous manufacturers included Friedrich Heyn, Hermann Thümmel, Karl Müller and Fritz Botmann. The artfully carved horses and classic carriages were supplemented with exotic animals such as lions, tigers, giraffes, zebras and elephants. The range of vehicles included gondolas, trills, globes, carriages, sledges, ships and later also cars. Pioneers of the first generation of showmen in the United States were Gustav A. Dentzel. Karl J.D. Loof and Frank Hrubetz, who designed and constructed great rides. The world wars of the 20th century meant the end of carousel art. Many originals were destroyed and replaced by plastic copies.

artfour is an owner-operated trading company dealing in Black Forest woodcarvings, antler furniture and an impressive variety of unique decorative items. Our antiques are displayed in a 100 years old barn in southern Germany, which we have remodeled ourselves. Antique pieces have been our passion since the 1980s. We ship worldwide, perfectly packed and with a money back guarantee. This qualifies us as your preferred partner for Black Forest and antique art.