Carousel Figure Identification: Asian Replicas

By Elizabeth Salenius

Whenever there is something valuable on the market, there are bound to be copies and fakes. Luxury bags, watches, paintings, and many other products have fallen victim to knock-offs, and many customers have been duped out of their hard-earned money. Unfortunately, antique carousel figures are among those that were replicated en masse, with reproductions often portrayed as authentic.

The arrival of Asian carousel replicas in America began in the 1980s, during the carousel craze. The various Asian figures have been attributed to Indonesia, the Philippines, China, and Korea, but it is unfortunately unknown which styles came from which countries and when. Imports continued to arrive in the U.S. all the way until the early 2010s, with the possibility that they are still being produced today. 

There was allegedly a particular salesman that was notorious for selling these reproductions as authentic pieces back in the 1990s in New Jersey. There are also numerous sellers and auction houses online advertising Asian figures as authentic--some due to a lack of knowledge and others in an attempt to mislead buyers.

This guide exists to educate carousel collectors new and old about the common fakes, in hopes that nobody will be swindled into overpaying. These Asian imports can make lovely decorative pieces and are a great option if you don't want to spend a ton of money or don't have much room for the real-deal. Typically, an Asian decorative carousel figure is worth anywhere from $50-$300, depending on size, condition, quality, and most importantly, how much a buyer is willing to pay.

If you are still unsure about identification, I encourage you to visit and post on the Carousel Figure Identification page on FaceBook.

The following traits are common identifiers for Asian replicas, though they do not apply to all. Detailed explanations for each trait can be found below. 

• Flower pot shaped hooves

• Flat carvings

• Human-like eyes

• Identical carvings on both sides

• Straight, rough, and uniform carving on the mane and tail

• Sharply pointed tails

• Oversized ears

• Lack of pole hole or incorrectly positioned pole hole

• "Patina" coloring

• Floral patterning on the saddle 

Flower Pot Shaped Hooves

Many Asian replicas have very simplistic carvings, including the hooves. They are often compared to upside-down flower pots, as they are far more symmetrical than the hooves of real horses and genuine carousel figures. See the examples below, the left and center photos being Asian and the one on the right being an authentic PTC carousel horse hoof. 

Flat Carvings

The carving detail on Asian replicas is typically not as detailed and deeply carved as authentic figures. This is most obvious in muscular detailing on the legs, veins on the face, and the trappings. See the Asian example on the left, where the trappings barely extend off of the horse's body and appear carved into the body. Compare to the example on the right, an authentic PTC horse, where the trappings come off of the body as if the horse were actually wearing a saddle, bridle, and other fittings.

Human-Like Eyes

While authentic carousel horse eyes aren't always necessarily accurate to real horse eyes, they never appear as human-like. Some Asian horses will have eyes facing forwards, placed almost on the forehead (rather than on the sides of the head), typically with a significant amount of white showing. See the top three Asian examples compared to the bottom three examples, which are authentic carousel horses. It is important to note that some authentic figures, like the one pictured in the bottom right, do show the whites of their eyes, but notice how the eye is placed on the side of the head, rather than more towards the forehead.

Identical Carvings

Authentic carousel horses almost always have what is known as a "romance" side--this is typically the right side on American carousels. The romance side is the outward facing side and was given fancier, more ornate trappings as that side would be visible to those viewing the carousel. The inner side, or non-romance side, is typically much less detailed. Asian replicas were typically carved using photos from popular carousel books, which usually were of the romance side. As a result, Asian carvers made both sides of these figures identical. See the top two photos, showing both sides of an Asian decorative piece inspired by a Stein & Goldstein horse, compared to the authentic Dentzel stander below.

Carving of the Mane & Tail

Asian carvers typically used repetitive carved lines on the manes and tails to represent hair (this also applies to other animals, such as bears, lions' manes, etc). Genuine figures typically have more dynamic manes, with irregular carved lines using different depths and curves to create a more life-like appearance. See the top row of photos, showing the mane carvings, and compare to the bottom photos of authentic carousel horse manes.

Sharply Pointed Tails

Authentic carousel horses can have both wood-carved tails and horse-hair tails, depending on the manufacturer. Asian decorative pieces sometimes have horse-hair tails as well, so it is important to verify a figure via other traits. However, Asian figures have very distinct, sharply pointed tails when they are wood, they also tend to stick out at odd angles. See the top row of photos of Asian horse tails, compared to wood tails on authentic figures below.

Oversized Ears

Some Asian decorative figures have oversized, rabbit-like ears, whereas genuine figures have proportional ears. See the top row of photos of Asian horses compared to the bottom row of authentic horses. 

Lack of Pole Hole or Incorrectly Positioned Pole Hole

Genuine carousel animals have the pole coming out in front of the saddle. There are two exceptions to this rule when it comes to genuine figures: Mexican children's carousel animals usually have the pole going through the front part of the saddle, and track machine horses only have a pole entering the belly and not extending out of the top. Many Asian reproductions have poles going through the saddles, making it impossible to sit on them, or lack pole holes altogether. See the top photos of Asian horses: with the pole going through the saddle, no pole hole, and the pole only going into the belly. Compare to, authentic figures on the bottom row: pole going through in front of the saddle, pole only entering the belly, and a Mexican carousel horse with the pole going through the front of the saddle.

"Patina" Coloring & Floral Patterning

One of the most common Asian features is orange-ish coloring, intended to make a piece appear older by emulating patina. Unlike many of the other features discussed here, this one applies to horses and menagerie animals--including tigers, lions, and bears (oh, my!), and others. While authentic carousels can and do discolor with time, it is not to such an extreme extent in most cases, and typically presents as yellowing, rather than vibrant orange tones. There are occasionally exceptions, such as the horses off of the Rock Springs Dentzel-Muller carousel, now dispersed, with some of the figures being very orange due to the aging varnish. See examples of Asian figures in the top four rows and authentic, aged figures in the bottom row.