Item: Lehmann Boxer Rebellion
Sold For: $12,211.00
Bids: 12
Date: Jul 11, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Description and Image By: tomisa499
An extraordinary and rare tin toy which would be the pinnacle of any Lehmann collector’s toys. Not only would this toy appeal to Lehmann collectors, but also to those who appreciate the best of the best.
Some 10,000 of this toy were produced at the beginning of last century, but today only a handful are known to exist
EPL No. 530
Base 13 x 13 cm (5 1/8″ x 5 1/8″).
Wind-up works perfect
Canvas torn
Very good condition
The toy includes four Chinese ‘coolies’ holding a blanket on which they toss up and down a Boxer when the clockwork mechanism of the toy is wound up.
The ‘coolies’ hats are painted in the national colours of the four great powers – An obvious representation of the suppression of the rebellion, and perhaps also empasizing attempts by the four powers to maintain power and influence in the region, often resulting in competition with each other.
The inspiration behind this Lehmann toy was the brutal suppression of a bloody rebellion in China at the turn of the last century by the four greats powers of the day – England, France, Germany and Russia. The rebellion was carried out by disaffected Chinese who had formed a secret society known as the ´Harmonious Fists´, thus the term ´boxers´. They had the tacit support of the Dowager Empress at the time, but the killing of a German Minister and sieges of several of the ´great powers´ embassies provoked England, France, Germany and Russia into taking action in ending the rebellion. The `Boxers´ were known as such because of their prowess in using martial arts in attacks on Allied citizens and Chinese Christians.