Acrobat Trapeze Monkey Toy

Also known as the trapeze acrobat, flipping acrobat, agile acrobat, or flap jack toy, this wonderfully simple mechanical folk toy is made almost entirely of wood and consists of an articulated human or animal figure suspended between two parallel wooden dowels or bars.  When the handles are squeezed and released at the bottom, the figure swings, flips, and performs somersaults around its support.  With a little practice, the operator can make the acrobat:

• swing forward and backward,
• kick his legs upward,
• rotate around the trapeze,
• perform single or repeated somersaults,
• stop upside down or in other positions, and
• appear to execute different "tricks" depending upon the timing and strength of the squeeze.