Lot 559: Folkart Assortment of Hand Painted Wooden Noahs Ark Figures and Ark

An assortment of hand-carved and hand-painted wooden figures and a companion ark, characteristic of German Erzgebirge folk art production from the late 19th or early 20th century. The collection comprises a variety of animal species including giraffes, elephants, lions, camels, cows, horses, zebras, and birds. Many figures are presented in pairs, though several singletons are present. The wooden ark features a boat-shaped hull with a blue-painted wave motif along the base and a red geometric border around the deck. The central cabin is finished in yellow with vertical graining, featuring four cut-out barred windows with green-painted lintels decorated with blue and white motifs. A hinged green-painted roof provides access to the hollow interior for storage, secured by a small metal hook latch. The set is entirely hand-carved with a folk-art aesthetic and finished in polychrome pigments. The interior of the ark shows white residue around the window apertures. There are no visible maker’s marks, signatures, or labels on any of the pieces.