Illions Horses, Feltman Carousel (F101-F109)

These are among the finest carousel horses ever carved. Each horse is large, powerful and well-proportioned, and each has a personality all its own. The decorating was done with skill and imagination, with careful attention to texture and shading. The painted surface has aged to a handsome patina, lined with parallel checks and punctuated with occasional chips ringed with dozens of layers of colors and gold leaf. Following a tendency of the last thirty years, bodies and manes are sometimes painted in eccentric colors, and gold leaf is not profuse. Those who wish to strip away more recent color schemes and restore classical decoration will be rewarded with strikingly crisp, deep carving and meticulously en­graved scrollwork. Tails are dirty gray twisted nylon fiber, crying to be placed with natural horsehair. Except for F103, each stationary horse has a concealed access door and large unmirrored jewels designed for internal illumination.

Smaller Illions Horses, Feltman Carousel (F301, F302)

These may be the only smaller horses Illions carved for the Feltman machine, since the two inner rows were dominated by the pre-existing Looff figures. These lack the fancy trappings of the outer row horses, but they have the unmistakable appeal and grace of Illions' carvings.