Noah's Arks

Noah and his Ark has always been a popular biblical story for children, and toy versions of the ark have been made since the 18th century. They were particularly popular during the Victorian period when children were restricted to play with biblical toys on Sundays. 

It is believed that the Noah's Ark toy originated from a small village in Germany, called Oberammergau, an area that is renowned for its wood craftsmanship. The industry started out as a cottage industry, with different families producing particular animals, which would then be collected together and assembled with an ark. Later on, as the industry expanded, new techniques we formed to speed up the process. A ring known as a Seiffen (named after the place where it was invented) would be carved out from wood and shaped with a lathe. The ring would then be sliced into sections, with each section forming the basic shape of an animal. Each animal would then be finished by hand, with tails and horns being added where needed.

Noah's Ark, about 1830. Museum no. Misc.18-1967 (click image for larger version)

The ark itself comes in two basic shapes; the first is a flat bottom ark which is a flat piece of wood in a raft shape with a hut on the top, the second is a boat ark, which has a deep hull with a large building on the top. The animals are stored inside, with access from a hinged roof. Some arks can have up to 400 animals which, when placed nose to tail, can extend for up to 30 metres. Like many toys, arks can vary in quality. Some of the most sought-after ones are decorated with inlaid straw which looks golden in the light, or inlaid with different types of wood.

Most arks have a dove carrying a olive branch painted onto the roof, a symbol of hope. Arks were very popular up until the 1920s and were exported from Germany to markets all over the world. Their decline came when export tax was imposed on them during the war. The tariff was based on size and weight, so many makers of arks switched to making toys which were smaller and lighter.