Lithographed tin-plate battery operated frog made in China in the 1970s

The frog is lithographed tinplate with the mechanism in the body and the opening underneath covered with a hinged lid. It is white, yellow, greens and gold, at the neck is a bowtie and across the chest is FROG. The eyes are clear plastic domes, each containing a marble which moves when walking. The mouth is lined with red.
When working the frog moves on two wheels underneath connected to the mechanism; there is a balancing wheel at the front. The back legs are also connected to the mechanism and `walk' along. At the same time the frog will spit discs placed in its mouth.
*There is an ancient Chinese proverb about the frog which spits coins - one way of gaining wealth - and this toy represents that frog.

Given by Clio Whittaker

References: This collection of toys was acquired by the donor while attending Peking University in 1978 and 1979. The majority of the toys were made in China for its own market.

See additional notes

Historical significance: The toys are colourful and rather crude in comparison to Western examples and they do not fulfill the necessary safety standards in place by the 1970s. Many of the toys are similar in standard to ones produced in europe in the 1920s and 1930s. A number of the toys were made in Japan for the Chinese market and they do reflect the lower safety standards required. At the same time Japanese toys for a Western market had much higher requirements. Some of the Japanese toys were then copied and there are several examples of the Japanese `original' and the Chinese copy.
Many of the toys reflect Chinese life and myths, the dragon, butterflies, frogs etc while other contemporary china - a woman driving a motorized plough. Some of the toys, however, illustrate the curiosity of the Chinese people for all things foreign, a knight on horseback and a washing machine for example.
Until recently Chinese toys were not available in Europe unless they were specifically designed for the European market and that still remains the case. Many plastic toys are made in Chinese factories but to Western designs; they are not really Chinese toys.
This collection, acquired by a person living and studying in China at a time when the country was beginning to open up following the normalisation of relations with the United States, reflects that individuality of the toy making before it was truly affected by outside forces.

This toy frog is lithographed tin plate with a battery operated mechanism housed inside the body. When working the frog moves on two wheels underneath connected to the mechanism, with a balancing wheel at the front. The back legs are also connected to the mechanism and "walk" along. At the same time the frog will spit a coin or disc placed in its mouth. This toy was made in China in the late 1970s for the local market and is an interesting example of a toys reflecting Chinese culture: an ancient Chinese proverb tells of gaining wealth with a coin-spitting frog.

B.106-1996