"Felix the Cat" Patience Game - Early 20th Century

A small, circular puzzle illustrated with a humorous scene showing a black cat (Felix the Cat) driving a toy car while juggling balls, cheered on by a figure holding a flag. The setting evokes a stylized circus or racetrack, in a style very characteristic of popular toys from the 1920s and 30s. The mechanism relies on three small metal balls that must be guided into the holes in the board by slightly tilting the case. This type of pocket-sized dexterity game, made of aluminum with a lithographed design under glass, was very common in the 1920s and 30s and is now a charming example of popular toys from the first half of the 20th century. The back features a repoussé metal illustration of La Fontaine's fable, "The Crow and the Fox."

✦ Origin: Europe
✦ Period: Circa 1930
✦ Dimensions: approx. 5 cm
✦ Condition: Good overall condition with normal wear and traces of oxidation on the case. Decoration clearly legible.

A small illustrated patience game in a cartoon style reminiscent of popular animated characters from the 1920s-1930s, sought after by collectors of antique miniature games.