Object number
89/35/3
Exhibition
Creator
Description
The head of the Hobby Horse, from 'The Whirligigs' an English Folk Dance Group based in London.
This is a costume from 'The Whirligigs' which was an English Folk Dance Group based in London. The costume consists of a hobby horse outfit and a guards uniform worn as one outfit by one dancer. It consists of three parts (body, neck and head). Also, the Guard's uniform has two helmets, a jacket, breast plates, a belt, gauntlets and a shock absorber. This object is the head of the Hobby Horse.
Physical description
Head of the Hobby Horse.
Archival history
MERL miscellaneous note –Georgia Charitou-13 October 2014- This Hobby Horse was named 'Hesky' at Klatovy in Czechoslovakia in 1962- hezky meaning 'handsome' in Czech. The Hobby Horse is traditionally used to accompany men's Morris dancing in England, together with a 'Fool', and as well as visiting Czechoslovakia, Hesky also accompanied The Whirligigs to Paris in 1964. Hesky was made by The Whirligigs for their visit in Czechoslovakia in 1962, when they put on a two hour programme of English country dancing, men's Morris dancing and men's Sword dancing. It is in three parts- head and neck, which fit into the body- to facilitate travelling, weighs approximately 25lbs. The basis is cane-work for lightness, strengthened in the body by bamboo poles and was made by Mervyn Clayton from instructions by Peter Spenceley. 'The Wirligigs'- an english Folk Dance Group based in London and affiliated to The English Folk Dance & Song Society was formed in 1951 in the hey-day of American Square dancing to demonstrate square dancing and English country dancing.
Production date
1962 - 1962
Object name
Material
Associated subject
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_01.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_02.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_03.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_04.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_05.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_06.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_07.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\Documents\Scans\89_35_doc_08.tif - High resolution image
