Children’s toys

Number of Cases

1304

A few years after the establishment of the Ethnographic Museum, already in 1903, curator Nikola Zega acquired the first three rag dolls for the museum's collection.

Sporadic collection of toys followed, and in 1958, the "Collection of Children's Toys" was formally established. The occasion was the exhibition "Children's toys", curated by Milica Matić, shown in 1958. A systematic collection of toys was organized for the purposes of the exhibition. Several hundred items were collected, including old toys and toys that children made for the exhibition itself. Among the toys are dolls made of different materials, various vehicles (cars, trucks, carts, etc.), dishes for preparing food, action figures, plush toys, board games, rattles, spinning tops, etc.

The collection consists of 1,304 items.

The curator in charge of the collection is Mirjana Kraguljac Ilić, MA senior curator: mirjana.kraguljac-ilic@etnografskimuzej.rs

Ballerina doll

Inv. No. 49783

Tractor

Inv. No. 49893

Pram for a doll

Inv. No. 48456

A boy on a tricycle

Inv. No. 45859

Doll

Inv. No. 20315

Doll

Inv. No. 24189

Ice sledges – teljige

Inv. No. 51547

Robot

Inv. No. 35870

Sewing machine

Inv. No. 48822

Stove

Inv. No. 32956

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Ballerina doll

Inv. No. 49783

A ballerina figure in Scottish attire. This toy is wound up and spins in a circle. Toys of this type were manufactured in factories in Germany and France in the early decades of the 20th century and were intended for girls aged 5 to 10.

Belgrade, Serbia
20th century, first half

Tractor

Inv. No. 49893

A tractor made of beech wood, powered by pushing the toy. Intended for boys aged 2 to 10.

Belgrade, Serbia
Mid-20th century

Pram for a doll

Inv. No. 48456

A model of children’s pram from the early 20th century. Toy factories or craft workshops produced copies of prams that were used for playing with dolls by children aged 3 to 10 years old.

Zrenjanin, Banat, Serbia
Early 20th century

A boy on a tricycle

Inv. No. 45859

A figure of a boy in blue pants, a yellow checkered shirt with a red tie, riding a tricycle. The vehicle is powered by a key that winds a spring. There is a bell on the back of the tricycle that rings when the vehicle is in motion. It is intended for children up to 10 years old. The toy was made in the 1960s, modeled after mechanical toys produced in Germany and the USA. On the seat of the tricycle, it is written: “Purchased from a second-hand seller at Bajloni Market in Belgrade.”

Belgrade, Serbia
20th century

Doll

Inv. No. 20315

A doll made of white porcelain, placed on a square wooden stand. The doll belonged to Leposava Mijatović from Belgrade. She received it as a gift in 1891 from Queen Natalia, the wife of King Milan Obrenović. The queen had a habit of giving dolls to children she would meet during her walks in Kalemegdan. These dolls were made in Vienna in the 19th century.

Belgrade, Serbia
19th century, second half

Doll

Inv. No. 24189

Тело лутке направљено је од дела гране и обавијено је крпама. Глава је направљена од белог платна, а лице је извезено црним концем. На глави има мараму од шарене свиле. Обучена је у блузу штрикану од црвене вуне, са рукавима који се завршавају плавим ширим порубом.

Марковац, Велика Плана, Јасеница, Србија
20. век, друга половина

Ice sledges – teljige

Inv. No. 51547

Made of wood, metal, and corn husks (polished corn cobs). They were used by children for play during the winter months.

Mokrin, Kikinda, Banat, Serbia
Mid 20th century

Robot

Inv. No. 35870

A robot of simple design, made of aluminum. By winding the spring, the robot moves its legs in one direction. It is intended for children over 3 years old. This robot belonged to Andrej Tamori from Belgrade, whose father purchased this toy in 1950 in Germany.

Belgrade, Serbia
Mid 20th century

Sewing machine

Inv. No. 48822

A model of a sewing machine made of cast metal. It was intended for girls aged 8 to 12 years. It belonged to Mirjana Durini, who received it from her parents in 1961. It was purchased in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Mirjana was living with her parents at the time (her father, Emil Durina, served as the cultural attaché at the SFRY embassy).

Belgrade, Serbia
Second half of the 20th century

Stove

Inv. No. 32956

It was used for play by girls older than three years. These types of toys were produced in the 1950s and 1960s.

Belgrade, Serbia
Mid-20th century