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Museum object · Toys and Games

Music box with articulated wooden figures

late 19th century

New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

COLLECTION RECORDImage not availableExplore the catalog description and source record.
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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A wooden music box with two (2) articulated female figures on top made by the American Mechanical Toy Co. The box (a) is rectangular with a stepped wooden base and a flat wooden lid (b) with rounded edges. A decal with a blond girl in a blue dress is adhered to the front side of the box. Inside the box is a metal music box mechanism, with the metal key protruding from the back side of the box and a metal gear lock protruding from the proper left side of the box. Two (2) metal rods extend above the lid that are attached to the mechanism inside. An articulated wooden figure of a topless woman wearing a short cream lace skirt is attached between the legs to the top of each rod.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2016.166.38a-d

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