A carved and painted carousel leopard attributed to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC), c. 1906, in a dramatic leaping pose with all four legs extended and the body fully airborne (reported). The body is golden-orange, covered in carefully hand-painted black rosette spots. The mouth is open, showing teeth. Dark glass or painted eyes. Small rounded ears. The saddle consists of a dark forest-green seat with scalloped edges over a maroon/burgundy blanket with gold scrollwork decoration on the romance side and a plainer treatment on the non-romance side. A teardrop-shaped jewel inset appears on the romance-side blanket. The gold tail hangs behind the figure. The owner describes this as "an extremely rare piece," noting that most feline figures produced by American carousel manufacturers were standers rather than jumpers (reported).

Purchased on December 25, 2020 for $12,000 (reported). The seller was Gray and Judy Tuttle (reported). The piece is documented in at least one carousel reference book (reported — specific title not provided).

The provenance chain for this figure is unusually well documented. The owner reports the following sequence (all reported):

The figure originated in what the owner refers to as the "Ersky collection" (phonetic approximation). It was then purchased by Bob and Tina Vedder more than twenty-five years ago. Tina Vedder, née Cristiani, restored and painted the leopard during this period of ownership. Tina's family — her father and uncle — owned the Cristiani Brothers Circus, one of the most prominent circus operations in American entertainment history. The Cristiani family, known as the "Royal Family of the Circus," traced their performing history to approximately 1840 in Italy and came to the United States in 1934 to star with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey before establishing their own circus organization (sourced). The Vedders subsequently sold the figure to Gray and Judy Tuttle, from whom the current owner acquired it.

Lise Liepman also painted the figure (reported) — presumably in a separate, later restoration campaign, though the chronology relative to the Vedder paint is not specified. Liepman, based in Albany, California, is a recognized carousel restoration artist who appears in connection with multiple pieces in this collection.

The Philadelphia Toboggan Company was founded in 1904 by Henry B. Auchy and Chester Albright (sourced). The company manufactured 87 carousels between its founding and the end of the Depression era, of which approximately 35 remain in operation today (sourced). PTC carousels are among the most extensively documented in the American carousel tradition, in part because the company numbered its center poles, making individual machines easier to trace (sourced).

The owner states that this leopard is one of only three carved and that most feline figures from major American manufacturers were produced as standers rather than jumpers (reported). A jumping cat — with all four legs off the platform — is indeed unusual in the American carousel tradition, where large cats more commonly appear as standing or walking figures. The c. 1906 date would place this figure among PTC's early production, before the company began numbering its carousels in 1907.

Richard A. Gardner's PTC Carousels: The History of Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousels (2012) is the definitive reference on PTC production and may contain documentation of this figure or its source carousel (sourced — not yet consulted for this specific figure).

The paint is in excellent condition, clean and well-executed, consistent with professional restoration work. The rosette pattern is uniform and carefully applied. No structural damage, cracks, or surface losses are visible in the two photographs provided. The figure has been restored at least twice — once by Tina Vedder and once by Lise Liepman (reported). The current paint scheme presumably reflects the most recent of these campaigns.

The PTC attribution is reported by the owner and supported by a documented provenance chain that includes recognized carousel collectors and restorers. The "one of three carved" rarity claim has not been independently verified but is consistent with the extreme scarcity of jumping feline figures in American carousel production. The figure's documentation in a carousel reference book (reported — title not specified) and its passage through known collecting circles strengthen the attribution. Direct verification through Gardner's PTC Carousels would likely confirm the figure and its source machine.

• Owner interview recording (October 17, 2025): identifies the figure as a PTC leaping leopard, c. 1906, one of three carved; provides the full provenance chain, identifies Tina Vedder (née Cristiani) and Lise Liepman as restorers, and provides the purchase price and date

• Two photographs (DSC_2474, DSC_2479): left profile and right profile showing full body in leaping pose

• CarouselHistory.com (PTC page): confirms PTC founding, carousel numbering system, and production count

• Wikipedia, "Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters": confirms company history and surviving carousel count

• Britannica and Circus Ring of Fame: confirm the Cristiani family as the "Royal Family of the Circus" with performing history dating to c. 1840 in Italy

• AntiqueCarousels.com (Restorers page): confirms Lise Liepman, Lise Liepman Restoration Studio, Albany, CA