Unboxing – the best things come in small packages

Boxes within Boxes, worlds within worlds.

Artists and their toys

One of our finds this year were these beautiful tin toys by Leman, carousels, clowns on bikes, cycling ducks. Made in Germany to the traditional designs, the highly decorated tinplate toys with keys come in brown boxes with a nostalgic label to remind you of a childhood past.  What you might not realise is that the boxes were designed by a conceptual artist. In the 1980s Hans-Peter Feldmann could be found behind the counter of his Dusseldorf antique store which specialised in nautical and medical instruments as well as a fantastic collection of tin toys. He had vanished from the art world to concentrate on the pure art of collecting….for himself.

Cycling Clown Tin Toys with box designed by Hans-Peter Feldmann

Shadow Play

In the 2000s Feldmann, returned from the art world wilderness and exhibited his work internationally.  Shadow Play – an installation comprising a long table and a selection of antique toys arranged on it. The toys were grouped into small assemblages on rotating platforms while spotlights illuminated them, casting a range of mysterious, dancing shadows on the wall behind. We are sure some of the tin toys on our shelves must be reminiscent of the ones casted in Shadow Play and might even entertain themselves in similarly enigmatic dances after hours – who knows?

The Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop version of Shadow Play in our Christmas Shop 2020

Toys in the studio

We first encountered our tin toy friends on a research trip to Paris earlier this year. During the same weekend of discoveries, we also came across an exhibition on Joseph Cornell curated by none other than Wes Anderson, himself an admirer of the artist. The showcase recreated Cornell’s studio and included a few of his shadow boxes inside the gallery Gagosian. The final result, however, was only visible by peeking into the windows of the gallery from the street, thus transforming the exhibition in a great, Cornell-style diorama of its own.

Joseph Cornell Diorama at Gasgosian, Paris January 2026 curated by Wes Anderson

Cornell could be identified as an outsider artist, never really being part of the art world during his lifetime. Working odd jobs while taking care of his mother and disabled brother, the artist lived a withdrawn existence and would spend his free time collecting all sorts of knick-knacks from the streets and thrift stores of New York. His treasures would then be carefully assembled into shadow boxes, giving life to a series of mysteriously melancholic worlds.

‘The House on Utopia Parkway’ Joseph Cornell’s studio Re-Created by Wes Anderson

Visible both in Cornell’s dioramas and his recreated studio are occasional toys of all types, from tin cars to porcelain dolls. Though this led numerous 20th century art critics to superficially label the artist’s work as ‘toys for adults’, the truth is that these assemblages are really a reflection on the poetry of everyday life. In a way, just like a child is able to see anything in a toy, so was Cornell with his chosen object. Unsurprisingly, in fact, he considered children to embody his most receptive audiences and would encourage their engagement with his work. One of his last exhibitions in 1972 was curated specifically for a younger audience, with work installed at an ideal viewing height and cake and soft drinks replacing canapés and champagne!

Peeping through the windows at Joseph Cornell’s studio recreated by Wes Anderson at The Gasgosian Gallery, 2026

Artists Toys in boxes at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop

This Autumn at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop look out for the work of artists Jonny & Becky Mendelsson who go under the ‘Critter Collective’ and a Christmas display of dioramas by Ann Seddon.

Rusalka Diorama by Ann Seddon

Ann uses boxes to create her own worlds populated by delightful fabric dancers. They will be unboxed this November as part of our Christmas Season. Peggy, a hand carved doll reminiscent of the traditional peg dolls known as ‘Dutch Dolls’ made by Jonny and hand painted by Becky come in their handmade box designed by the artist duo. A must for any doll collection. The rest of the ‘Critter Collective’ Alice in Wonderland collection exclusively designed for Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop will be available in the bricks and mortar shop in Covent Garden this Christmas.

Peggy Dolls by the Critter Collective at Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop