Revolutionary Soldier Whirligig

Datec. 1875

DimensionsOverall (Arms up): 37 7/8 × 13 3/8 × 4 3/8 in. (96.2 × 34 × 11.1 cm) Overall (Arms down): 27 × 13 3/8 × 4 3/8 in. (68.6 × 34 × 11.1 cm)

Object numberN0242.1962

Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Gift of Stephen C. Clark

Photograph by Richard Walker

Label TextAlthough it has medieval European origins, the whirligig reached its fullest development in America. The whirligig, which probably derived from articulated dolls and was inspired by windmills, took two basic forms; a single figure with rotating arms; and more complex multi-part constructions where gears and connecting rods transfer wind power into movement.

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