Preview Lot
MECCA - TOY THEATRE 'The Caravan to Mecca. The Halt in the Desert', COMPLETE BOXED THEATRE SET, Vienna, M. Trentsensky and London, A.& S. Joseph Myers, [1850s]
7 – 15 July 2025, 12:00 BST
Online, London, Knightsbridge£2,000 - £4,000
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MECCA - TOY THEATRE
'The Caravan to Mecca. The Halt in the Desert', COMPLETE BOXED THEATRE SET, comprising hand-coloured lithographed backdrop scenery view of a desert (198 x 522mm.), 50 hand-coloured lithographed cut-out figures (each pasted to wooden stand, numbered 1-31 with small stamp on verso, others blank), original box with hand-coloured lithographed view with title pasted to upper cover (age soiling, extremities slightly rubbed, split at one margin), box 210 x 272 x 40mm., Vienna, M. Trentsensky and London, A.& S. Joseph Myers, [1850s]
Footnotes
A scarce complete nineteenth century toy set depicting pilgrims in the desert en route to the Hajj at Mecca, produced by an Austrian firm for distribution in the British market. It is complete with a background panel of the desert and 50 cut-out figures on wooden stands, including pilgrims, tents, camels and horses, luggage and cooking utensils, all held in the original box.
A similar set was included in the British Museum exhibition "Hajj. Journey to the Heart of Islam", 2012 (catalogue, p.125, illustrated).
Provenance: "D.H. Greenin, Fancy Repository, 20 & 23 East St., Brighton", printed nineteenth century label inside lid of box.