Made by Ives, Blakeslee & Company. Bridgeport, Ct. - 1890 - 16" Long. Donal Markey to Tom Sage. Few fancy carriage toys were made in a large scale format, however, the Ives Company presents us with three noteworthy exceptions; a hansom cab, a dog cart, and a cutter sleigh. This dazzling trio represents the most beautifully detailed cast iron toys ever produced. So finely cast, in fact, that there must have been an astronomical cost associated with bringing these magnificent toys to market. For these three toys, the designers at Ives crafted a draft horse that was able to stand alone on four articulated legs of even length. This allowed the lucky owner of such a toy to be able to play separately with the horse, as shown. When connected to the dog cart, the toy could be pulled across the parlor floorboard and the movement of the horse's limbs would be seen as extremely realistic.Collectors often query, "why is this called a dog cart when it is clearly pulled by a horse"? The term "dog cart" refers to the vehicle, not to the animal who pulls it. The carriage is essentially an elongated gig form. The back panel could be flipped down so that hunting hounds could be transported beneath the driver's seat. This example of Ives' dog cart is absolutely sublime quality.

Near Mint and Luminous