Children in
ancient Egypt
enjoyed playing many
games with
balls, dolls and toy
animals, but wooden
horses on wheels
were not known until
the
Graeco-Roman
period. The intact
bird on wheels is
very rare. The holes
in the bird's head
are probably for
strings. Traces of
the dark green color
depicting the mane
and the saddle of
the toy horse still
remain; the saddle
is secured with a
red girth around the
belly and the breast
of the horse. These
three toys are among
the best preserved
objects of their
kind from late Roman
and Byzantine times
in Egypt.


