History of the Carousel

The word “carousel” has been traced to twelfth-century Arabian games of horsemanship called “carosellos” or “little wars.” The game consisted of riders tossing a small perfumed clay ball from one rider to another.By the 16th century these games spread to France where the events were elaborated; people wore fanciful costumes and engaged in tournaments of drama called “Carrousels.” Eventually the art form became more tactile, as artists began to sculpt crudely shaped horses. In the late nineteenth century American artists broke from European tradition. To the dashing horses, artists added an entire menagerie of elegant animals, often accompanied by flowers, bells, plump cherubs, and flashing mirrors.