Sergio Milani and his little life companion

2023 couldn't start in the best way! We have received a beautiful donation to ou museum: "Stal", a toy-sculpture created by the artist Sergio Milani.

For 22 years Sergio has been creating little collectible horses, toys that are true works of art in painted wood measuring approximately 25 cm. But how did this idea of transforming a small game for children into a work of art come about? “By observing an old wooden horse, which has always been a playmate, the original idea was to raise a simple wooden toy to an artistic level.” Sergio tells us.

According to the artist, the little horse must be a collector's work of art, an interesting piece of furniture, an original gift, the memory of an important moment in life, a talisman for life, but it must also have the important function of ludic-educational toy.

In short, the idea was born to be a cultural reference for the child, but it is also an invitation to adults to educate the little ones in art, to make them understand, love and respect valuable objects, and the little horse "Whim" allows this thanks to its small size.

A small work that manages to make any corner in which it is placed alive and full of color!

From the "Whim" collection, Sergio has decided to give us a piece from the "Stal" line, hand painted with gold leaf. Ours rests on a small base in precious wood (a box set) but if you take a peek at its website https://www.gigarte.com/sergiomilani/home you can also find rocking horses, horses with a fixed base or on a trolley with wheels. The wheels and all the cylindrical parts are individually made on the lathe using precious woods.

Each horse is a unique little work that has its own gameplay with its own decorations.

“Everything starts with the design: every new toy line starts with freehand sketches. Then, once the idea has been outlined, all its components are designed on the computer, including the executive phases and the final assembly system. However, the most demanding and artistic phase is the choice of the theme to be developed with the decoration; in fact, I dedicate an exclusive decorative topic to each line”.

The themes range from the wonderful world of nature, landscapes, the horse in its natural environment, to decorative elements drawn from the history of art and architectural monuments of the past. The choice of the decorative theme is essential to have the possibility of working with ever-changing scenes and images, thus creating unique and unrepeatable works.

With the cutting of the various pieces, the creation of the toy begins. The body of the horse is made of MDF wood while the support is made of precious wax-polished woods, and everything is made with meticulous workmanship and manual finishing.

At this point the most exciting phase of the painting takes place: the watercolor is diluted while the tail and mane are made with 22 Kt gold leaf infill. Each work is then numbered according to the year of production and progressive number and authenticated with lacquered wax seal and is accompanied by a certificate.

His is the story of a true craftsman, and Sergio spent his youth in his father's workshop where he practiced woodworking and acquired the various techniques of working with the material.

For this reason, Sergio boasts over thirty years of collaborations with the best-known Italian toy industries, conceiving, designing and creating prototypes in the field of industrial design of plastic toys.

However, since 2000 he has turned his attention to his passion for wood and the idea of creating collectible art toys was born, a niche production made without time limits.

And this is where the birth of our new little horse takes place.

“This is my little horse playmate, rediscovered after fifty years, it was so much enthusiasm that, retracing my childhood adventures, I came up with the idea of making prestige toys, toys that should last over time. Unprinted toys but painted with colorful scenes, with images taken from nature, from the world around us, children's games, fantastic scenes, my intention was therefore to create real "art toys".”

With this work, Sergio has contributed to enriching the Horse Museum collection while maintaining the Foundation's prestige.