V2401

American Folk Art

Carousel Horses - Golden Horse &  Armored Horse

Summer 2024 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 20,V2401 and V2402 — Carousel Horses (set of 2 covers) — 7-21-95

The word carousel has been traced to the 12th Century Arabian game of horsemanship called carosellos or "little wars." Knights would gallop in a circle while tossing balls from one to another — an action that required great skill and horsemanship. A typical classic wooden carousel is carved from up to 70 pieces of wood that are shaped and glued together. Heads and legs were carved separately and attached to the bodies with dowels and glue. The four stamps for the Carousel Horses mini-set of two covers are awesome. The head and upper body of each are shown, and they are colorfully painted. The stamps are edged in gold. Carousel horses with three or all four of their feet touching the floor are called "standing figures." Horses with their front feet in the air and their back feet on the floor are "prancers," and those with all their hooves in the air are "jumpers." Both of my nostalgic covers are framed in matching ornate borders.

V2401 shows a magnificent carousel horse from the 20th Century. The second cachet, V2402, pictures a turn-of-the last century carefree amusement park scene. A young girl and boy joyfully ride their carousel horses on a revolving merry-go-round. The brightly colored horses delight the young riders as they have countless millions of American "kids" from one to one hundred. Of all the memories that evoke childhood fun, the carousel has to be near the top of the list. Each cover has two different stamps which means all four of the stamps from this mini-set are represented.