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MIM April-May 2019
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Discover Madeira Descobrir
Address / Morada: Rua Latino Coelho, nº 39 – 2º piso 9060-129 Funchal Tel: +351 291 640 640 / 291 640 645 Email: museu@armazemdomercado.com Web: armazemdomercado.com Timetable / Horário: Monday to Saturday/ Segunda a Sábado: 10.00 a.m. - 6.00 p.m. Closed at Sunday & Statutory Holidays Encerrado aos domingos e feriados. Timetable for Shop / Horário da loja: Monday to Saturday/ Segunda a Sábado: 10.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m. Admission tickets / Preços de entrada: Adult / Adultos - € 5 Children / Crianças - €3 Family (2 Adults+2 Childrens) / Família (2 Adultos + 2 Crianças) - € 12
Madeira Toy Museum The Madeira Toy Museum is a toy museum located in the heart of Funchal just behind the Farmer’s Market. The museum was founded by a local architect, José Manuel Borges Pereira, in 2003. Currently, the museum has on display 20,000 toys and miniatures from as early as the nineteenth century, which come from Portugal, England, Germany and France. Miniature cars, dolls, airplanes, toy soldiers, and games are among the many collectibles that give life to this unique museum. Previously located in a private house, in Barreiros, the museum now has a new home, located in a building dated from the eighteen century, part of the new “Armazém do Mercado”.
Toys, we have all had that one extra special one we loved and treasured, no matter how bashed and broken it might have become over the years. That lovable doll with tufts of her hair where it’s been styled and styled time and time again, eventually falling out. The toy car that has taken young boys on magical imaginary road trips. The toy soldier that put up a fight with Star Wars creatures as Wampas and Tauntauns. The plastic fighter plane that flew around the living room, but ended up crashing behind couch pillows. According to Wikipedia, the origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the fourteenth century. The oldest known doll toy is thought to be 4,000 years old. Playing with toys is considered to be important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us. Younger children use toys to discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong, learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults. Adults on occasion use toys to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, help in therapy, and to remember and reinforce lessons from their youth.
Traditional Madeiran Toys In Madeira, a wide range of traditional toys can still be seen at the Toy Museum. Traditionally, in Madeira, kids used to build and play with what appeared to be a cane pole wired uniwheeled vehicle which consisted of a wheel connected to a long cane pole which was then fitted with a steering wheel that served to guide the toy. Madeiran kites were another favourite. They were made from split cane poles (cana-vieira), covered with paper or cloth, and stuck together with gum, resin or any other sticky material besides glue, seeing that the latter was quite expensive to buy and not available to the majority of the population at the time. The top was also very popular amongst Madeiran children. The toy which was designed to spin rapidly on the ground entertained kids for hours while they watched it spin to ever increasing precession until it finally toppled in a frequently violent last thrash. Traditionally tops were constructed of wood, sometimes with an iron tip, and would be set in motion by aid of a string or rope coiled around its axis which, when pulled quickly, caused a rapid unwinding that would set the top in motion. Children have always had small imitations of things from the adult world and toy weapons are no exception. Traditionally, youngsters would build and play with wooden toy guns made of a wooden rod fitted with a clothespin which projected elastic bands. Other wooden toys included swords and shields. Bows and arrows made of cane poles and string were also popular.
