|
 Compiled and Written
by Valerie Oliver
Copyright Spintastics Skill Toys, Inc., 2002
It appears that man
has always been fascinated with the top. He has the power to spin it
and somehow defy gravity by its ability to stand upright on its point,
as if magically. It has also become evident that as is true for other
items created or invented by man which are found in nature, there is
no one point in time where the top can be said to have been invented.
It was discovered, or invented, almost simultaneously and most
definitely, independently, in many different areas of the world. So,
unfortunately, we cannot give definitive credit for the invention of
the top to any one person, one culture or even to one geographical
area.
Definition. Webster’s
dictionary defines the top as "a child’s toy shaped somewhat
like an inverted cone, with a point at its apex upon which it is spun,
usually by unwinding a string." This definition is somewhat
limited, as many references throughout history tell of tops also in
reference to adults and some of which have no relation to a string.
For example, even in primitive Malay, top spinning was an organized
adult sport, with tops weighing up to 15 pounds. In Borneo and Java,
the handicraft of tops limited them to adult use by their sheer size
and weight. Pacific Islanders also had spiritual meanings to the top.
In medieval times, there existed a parish top, frequently in the town
square, for all to use. In countries such as Japan and China, jugglers
and top-spinners are respected adult public entertainers. The most
common concept of a top is a spinning object supported at one point
only. A gyroscope, however, is a top and has an axle supported at two
points, while the motion of a bullet from a gun is like that of a top
although there is no point of support at all. It appears then,
that a better definition would be simply objects that spin on a
major axis.
The top is most likely to
have been invented and re-invented many times by different cultures,
completely independent of one another. As concluded by D.W. Gould in
his book ,The Top-Universal Toy, Enduring Pastime, if it had
been easy to disperse information about a simple object such as a top
across different continents, there would be evidence of inventions
more critical to man’s survival being passed among them as well, but
there is not. Tops have been found on all continents except
Antarctica. Although its use appears to have been for
"play", its introduction was most likely noticed in nature
or through survival techniques developed and recognized in many areas
of the world.
 1
2 
3 
4
The most natural top is found
in the simple acorn. Likewise, maple seeds, with their mesmerizing
spin through the air could easily inspire the invention. A shell, as
shown here, is also a natural found top and most certainly was
discovered in areas, which had them available. The Japanese game,
named "bai" or "bei" shows a shell used for the
top and where the physics of spinning objects was explored by filling
a shell with wax or sand in order to increase the top’s weight.
Fire-starters, or file
drills, found in many primitive cultures, using the rotation of a
pointed object to produce fire, could likely have given rise to the
spinning top. Another device, a whorl, is defined in Webster today as
"a flywheel on a spindle for regulating the speed of a spinning
wheel." Forms of spindle-whorls were found by archeologists in a
number of sites such as Troy (Turkey) and pre-Columbian Peru, and were
used to gather and separate fibers. These ancient whorls could have
easily been modified by adding a disc to evolve naturally into a
twirler top (defined later). Examples of tops made by natives of the
Torres Straits (Pacific Islands) supports this development theory.
Most primitive twirlers were likely to have been a seed, fruit or nut
with a thorn or stick spiked through them.
5 Fire Starter 6 Whorl
ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDINGS
AROUND THE WORLD
Archeology aids us greatly with added timeline and
location information about the top.
- Clay tops were found in the ancient city of Ur dating rom 3500 B.C.
(Ur is modern day Muqayyar which lies 187 miles southeast of Bagdad,
Iraq)
- Cermaic spinners made of terra cotta were found at Troy (Turkey)
3000 B.C. (figure 7)
- Wood-carved whip tops discovered in Egypt, are aged between
2000-1400 B.C. (figure 8)
- In China, whip tops were found dated from 1250 B.C.
- Fired clay spun type tops were found from Thebes, Greece dated at
1250 B.C.
- Greek pottery, dated around 500 B.C. are decorated with scenes
showing top spinners (both whip (figure 10) and twirler (figure 11)
varieties) and notably, some of which include women playing with
tops. While many would have been made out of wood, it appears
that ceramic tops could have been votive, that is, used to honor the
gods (figure 9). Some may have also been a sign of affluence and
at times were placed in tombs as an item to be taken into the
afterlife.
- Roman tops were found made of bone from 27 B.C.
 7
 8
 9  10
 11
HISTORICAL MENTION OF
TOPS IN LITERATURE
 
12 Aristophanies
13 Shakespeare
Early written mention of the top which first comes from classical
literature. adds to the puzzle.
- 1. The Iliad, by Homer, in XIV 413 in 800 B.C. (Ancient Greece) claims
to be a story of the fall of Troy.
“…reels like a top staggering to its last turnings.”
- 2. Republic, by Plato, IV 436 in 360 B.C. (Ancient Greece)
“A wheel or top which moves upon a fixed axis or center may be said
to move or not to move, i.e., it may move at its circumference, while
its axis stands still.”
- 3. The Birds, by Aristophanies, 1461 in 414 B.C. (Ancient Greece)
“You get the idea. I’m busy as a top.” And again… “Top? Here’s something to make tops spin.” (picking up a long
whiplash)
- 3. Aeneid, by Virgil, VII 378 in 19 B.C. (Roman poet) “She wanders aimless, fevered and unstrung
Along the public ways; as oft one sees Beneath the twisted whips a leaping top
Sped in long spirals through a palace-close By lads at play; obedient to the thong,
It weaves wide circles in the gaping view Of its small masters, who admiring see
The whirling boxwood made a living thing Under their lash.”
- 5. Hexamer 5, by St. Basilius (365 A.D.) “ Like tops which, as a consequence of an initial impulse, orient
themselves and spin on their axes; so thus the order of nature finds
its first principle in this first law and then goes through the entire
sequence until it achieves completion of the system.”
- 6. References from Shakespeare (1564-1616 A.D.)
- 1. Merry Wives of Windsor, V. i. 27 (1601)
“…played truant, and whipped top”
2. Winter’s Tale, II. I. 103
“…not big enough to bear a school boy’s top”-
3. Coriolanus, I. Ix. 24
“…turned me about with his fingers and thumb, as one would set up
a top”
-
4. Twelfth Night, I. Iii, 44
“…turn o’ the toe like a parish-top”
Types of Tops
The classes of tops are differentiated by the way in which they are
spun. The order listed does not in any way imply the progression of
development of one form to another.
- Twirler – spun with hands or fingers by twisting the stem.
- Supported top - spun by a cord while the top is held upright
with a support
- Whip top – spun by whipping the top to give continuous
motion
- Throwing top – spun with a cord on the body of the top and
thrown causing spin
The Twirler
spun with hands or fingers by twisting the stem.
14
 15  16
The most primitive form and that which is consistent in many
cultures is made from a seed or fruit impaled with a thorn. The most
basic form is called a teetotem, defined as “a kind of top spun with
the fingers, especially one with four lettered sides used in a game of
chance.” Examples are found in many countries, including Japan,
Germany, Poland, Korea, France and Scotland. Childhood games played
with this type of top were either to simply see how many tops could be
spun in motion at one time or to attempt to perform some task before
the top’s motion stopped. However, variations of the game were
invented when teetotums developed a body in the shape of a cube. On
each of the four sides of the cube was a particular letter, signifying
a step of the game. For example “T” (for totum) meaning to “take
everything”, “A” (for aufer) meaning to take half, “D” (for
depone) meaning to put something more in, and “N” (for nihlil)
meaning that one neither puts in nor takes out. Forms of this game
changed with the nationality that used the toy. The Jewish dreidel
displays Hebrew letters and is used in Hannukkah celebrations, but
which has no spiritual meaning.
Japan is particularly well known for tops as a part of their culture.
Rarely confined to children, top spinning is a respected skill of
Japanese entertainers and jugglers. Japanese twirlers have been
different from others with their long, thin stems, thus giving them
the name of ‘spindle top.’ (figure 17) Of particular note is the
Japanese iron-clad top called the ‘tetsudo.’ The metal spindle is
rounded at the tip and a metal ring is placed around the outside of
the wooden body. This additional weight distribution on the outside
results in significantly longer spins. In this form, the tetsudo can
also be used as a peg top. A skilled top spinner can then pick up the
top and balance it on a paddle, tightly stretched string, or even run
the top across the edge of a sword. Variations of the spindle top are
found in China and Korea with bodies made of bamboo. Bamboo provides a
strong, hard material of medium weight that is naturally rounded in
shape. Known for their colorful bodies, these tops are sometimes
referred to as ‘lantern tops.’ (figure 19)
17 
18 
19
The tippee top (1953 British patent 656540) is a peg with a ball
shaped body. To spin the top with the stem down, it spins as expected.
However, if you spin the top swiftly on the rounded body with the peg
pointing upward, it flips itself over and spins on its peg. A plastic
top with these same spinning characteristics was invented by a Swede
and named the ‘Tippy Tap.’ The novelty of this action is a
puzzlement of geometry and physics to some and mathematics to others.
20 
23 
21
Supported Top
spun by a cord while
the top is held upright with a support.
The Twirler progressed by
elongating its stem. Motion however, was limited to the amount of spin
that could be generated by twisting the fingers. Improvements were
made by wrapping a string or rope around the stem, pulling and
unwinding it off of the stem, thus causing increased spin. The problem
with this method was in holding the top upright while pulling the
cord. Handles or brackets were designed to hold the top upright with
one hand while being able to pull the cord with the other. The handle
was then lifted off of the top once it was spinning. Early cultures
used wood or a shell with a hole in it as the handle device. A toy
gyroscope uses a similar method, with the frame around the gyroscope
being, in effect, the handle or bracket, but which remained fastened
surrounding the spinning disk.
A variation of this actually ties
the cord to the axis of the top. Once pulled, inertial spins the top
and rewinds the cord up in the opposite direction upon the stem,
allowing repetitive pulls, causing continuous, but reversing rotation.
Whip Top
spun by whipping the
top to give continuous motion.
24 
25 
26
Although as state earlier,
forms of whip tops were found in Egypt as early as 2000 B.C. and China
from 1250 B.C., formal written record of whip tops are recorded as
early as 1344 A.D. (Roman d’Alexandre) and more commonly in the 18th
and 19th centuries. Distribution of the whip top appears to
be worldwide, as examples are found in Europe, the Americas, northeast
Asia, the Pacific Islands, India and Africa. Many sources give China
credit for the invention of the whip top, which was then brought to
Europe by seaman who had seen them on their travels and which was
noted in 14th century European manuscripts. Though again,
it appears that these tops were developed in other places of the world
as well, such as Egypt. This concurrent development of different types
of tops is proven by studying current day primitive tribes, as the
same items are developed without knowledge of their existence in
advanced cultures.
The whip top has mostly kept
to the basic cone shape and was made of wood, fired clay and, in some
cases, stone. During the 18th century, heavy whip tops of
iron were made with the intent of whipping on the ice of ponds and
lakes. The peg of the whip top was not stressed since the point did
not have the wear from impact on it as with the peg top. Any imbalance
in the top’s construction was also less important, as the constant
whipping action seemed to offset its effect on the spin of the top.
The method of spin was to
literally whip the side of the top and continually whip it in order
for the top to maintain its spin. The material of the whip itself was
probably most important. Europeans preferred eelskin since it was
inexpensive, soft and resistant to cracking. America, Asia, and more
primitive cultures used different skins or woven cords or fabric.
The social significance of
the top is most apparent with the whip top. Top spinning was accepted
for both sexes in classical Greece (figures 9 & 22), as shown on
the pottery carvings and paintings. In the Pacific Island and
southeast Asian cultures, it was primarily a male sport, with many
fewer girls and seldom seen women participating, while rarely are
girls or women playing with tops in European cultures. Interestingly,
the top was specifically identified as an acceptable form of play when
stated on the "Orders, Statutes and Rules" in 1591 of the
Harrow School in England, where it stated, "...The scholars shall
not be permitted to play, except upon Thursday only sometimes when the
weather is fine, and upon Saturday, or half-holidays after prayer. And
their play shall be to drive the top, to toss a handball, to run, or
to shoot, and none other." (To shoot presumably meant in the form
of archery.) The phrase "to drive a top" meant to play with
a whip top, which certainly was an inexpensive way of exercise.
The parish top (a whip top) has
been thought of not only to amuse or provide exercise, but also to keep
behavior channeled appropriately or even to be used as a competitive
sport between towns. Although it seems that an original parish top
failed to survive, drawings found make them appear to have been quite
large, possibly 8 inches tall, resulting in an object that was at least
2 pounds in weight. The parish top would be kept in the town courtyard
and would certainly require strength and endurance to keep such a large
object spinning and at times, with more than one adult whipping. It has
also been said to provide a means of keeping warm through the physical
effort required.
27
Throwing Top
Spun with a
cord on the body of the top and thrown, causing spin.
Most commonly called a ‘peg
top", but which name seems inaccurate since original "peg
tops" were carved to a point which did not have an actual
‘peg" inserted into them. The throwing top, in general, is pear
shaped, usually with some sort of point at the narrow end and which is
wound by a cord and thrown to unwind the cord from the top, causing
the top to spin. Throwing tops do not seem to have existed in
classical times, but other primitive cultures did develop them,
notably Malaysia and Japan.<
Providing more forms of play
than any other form of top, the throwing top is the only true skill
building top, as a player’s skill can be measured and can even be used
in competition. Some believe that the throwing top was born from the
whip top, where top spinners could play with a top requiring less
strenuous activity than with the whip top. Other sources believe Japan
to be credited for the origin of the throwing top, and although no dates
or specifics are given to verify this claim, it does seem that Japan or
other Northeast Asian cultures should be given credit for tops spun with
a string.
Wood was the most likely
material with some tops grooved to allow easier temporary attachment of
the cord. The peg itself began as simply a part of the top body itself,
carved to a point. Later, harder woods or bones were used and eventually
evolved into metals. A brad or nail was driven or cemented into a hole
in the tip of the top. Balance of the top itself was important as the
top spun independently, and an unbalanced top would spin erratically.
The peg’s continued to smaller sizes, thus having less contact with
the spinning surface, which decreased the friction, and improving the
speed and spin time. Spinning within a target, removing objects within a
target, out spinning other tops and knocking other tops out of a target
by a spinning top were common throwing top games. Most remembered in
recent history are wooden throwing tops with nail points, which were
used in top fighting. Players would attempt to hit their opponent’s
top with the intent of splitting it in two.
During the 18th and
19th centuries, tops were a favorite pastime of children in
Europe and America. Of particular notice are whip tops and peg tops, as
shown on these wood block prints from that period of time. Tops were
then mostly made of wood, iron and tin.
28 
29
Methods of Throwing a Top
Interestingly, there are
several ways of throwing a top with a string. Various methods of winding
the string around the top stem from the shape of the top itself. There
are also different ways of holding and throwing the top, usually based
on preference, but also just depending on how and where one was taught
the skill. As a top is thrown, the string unwinds off of the top. As it
unwinds, the top will begin to turn over, until the string is completely
unwound off of the top. Length and thickness of the string, shape of the
top, and the mechanics of procession all have a factor in how the top
will turn. Ideally, a top is thrown in such a manner so that the top
lands with the point down and standing upright.
The
Wind.
Figure A. Early throwing tops were made with a rounded top.
In these cases, the string was wound with a line of string lying on the
side of the top, extending down to the point, then wrapped around the
top, over the initial string placement. The ‘button’ at the end of
the string is placed behind the hand with the string placed between the
two fingers. When the top is released, the string remains locked between
the fingers.
Figure B. Later, a groove was sometimes made in the top of
the top so that a string with a knot at the end could be held in place
in the groove, and then extended down to the point, them wrapped upward
around the top.
Figure C. In recent history (20th century), many
tops have evolved to have a top with a cap edge so that the string can
be wrapped around the cap, locked to the knot at the end of the string,
and then extended down to the point and wrapped upward around the top.
(tops in figures B & C can be wound in this manner)
A. 
B. 
C.
(Siren King)
(Duncan Bearing King) (Spintastics Blizzard)
The
hold.
Once the top is wound, it can be
held and thrown in a variety of ways. Some will hold the top upright,
while others prefer to hold with the top on its side when thrown. The
most common method in the United States since the 1960’s is holding
the top in an upside down position, with the point facing up.
The throw.
Various methods
of throw are also used.
- Underhand
throw. Tops can be thrown with an underhand motion, where the top is
spun with a sort of flipping of the hand motion. Accuracy can be a
problem with this type of throw and does not result in a high speed of
spin.
- Overhand
throw. Speed and accuracy are increased as the top is thrown overhand,
similar to throwing a ball, but in a downward direction.
- Side
throw (reverse method of typical flying disc motion of throw) The top is
held in the hand upside-down, with the point facing up, arm extended.
The arm is swung forward while the top is released. Accuracy is
significantly increased with this type of throw, so much so that skilled
players can hit a bottle cap.
RECENT HISTORY OF THE
THROWING TOP
 30
31
Beginning in the 1960’s,
Duncan Toy Company began promotion of spin tops. Demonstrators, like
those used with the yo-yo, were sent to run promotions in various
cities across the United States. Initial tops were made of wood and
were turnable-painted in large barrels or machine sprayed. Also during
this time, plastics began to be produced by companies such as Duncan,
Festival and Royal. Comparable weight plastic tops spun much longer
than wooden tops, due to the fact that plastic tops were hollow,
distributing the mass to the outside. During the years of 1963-1964,
Duncan financed regional championships were set in place for the
purpose of sending a regional champion to the National Spin Top
Competition held at Disneyland in California each year. (The National
Contest at Disneyland was run for three years, from 1962-1964, but
1962 was run for yo-yos only, while 63 and 64 had both a yo-yo and a
spin top championship.) The cash prize was $5000, which in 1964
was huge. Winners were Pete Span (1st), Forest Larson (2nd) and Bob
Donna (3rd). In 1965, the Duncan company filed bankruptcy. To
the dismay of many determined young top players, the competitions
stopped as well, leaving the number of years of National Championships
for tops at two.
In August of 1991 at the International Jugglers Festival, a workshop
was run by Don Olney of The Toycrafter in New York on spinning peg
tops. Many embraced this "new" juggling prop and the
workshops grew from year to year with the help of some of the
"original" 1960’s top players like Dale and Valerie
Oliver. Great new tricks were added by more recent top players, and
the newcomers swelled the size of the spin top workshops each year.
1991 also marked the first year that Masahiro Mizuno performed
Japanese top tricks at the IJA festival. The magnificent Japanese tops
and the tricks done with them by Masahiro played no small part in
fueling the growing interest in top spinning.
 |
 |
 |
| Flyer - 1964 |
Patch |
w/ Don Duncan Jr., 1964
National Top Contest |
Not until 1999 did the interest
in spin tops begin to be fueled once again in the retail market, when
companies such as Spintastics Skill Toys, Inc and What’s Next
Corporation came out with their spin top lines and began promotion and
demonstrations once again. During the 2 years following, Duncan (now
owned by Flambeau Products) began selling their line of tops once again
and other companies such as Moose of Australia, and YoYo Jam in the
United States joined in. In the year 2000, the first spin top contest
since the 60’s was held during the World Yo-Yo Competition in Orlando,
Florida, which was followed by a top contest during the National Yo-Yo
Competition in Chico, California in October of that same year and
repeated by both events in 2001. 2002 marks the first year that an
official National Spin Top Contest will be run since 1964.
The first commercially
manufactured ball-bearing top was designed by Dale Oliver in November of
1995 and was introduced by Spintastics Skill Toys, Inc. in February
1999. Named the Tornado Top, this ball-bearing model allowed for
increased spin time by decreasing the friction between the point and the
spinning surface. The point of the ball-bearing top does not spin,
therefore there is little or no friction between it and the surface. An
entirely new series of top tricks are now possible using the
ball-bearing technology that fixed tip tops are unable to do. In
reverse, there are tricks confined to fixed tip tops, such as
regenerative tricks which require friction between the tip and the
string to keep the top spinning. The Double Tip top is another
addition to the growing types of spin tops. It was invented by Luis
Borge and introduced by YoYo Jam in February of 2000. It features points
of spin, bearing or fixed, in both the cap of the top as well as the
tip.
VARIATIONS OF THE TOP
1. Buzzer – spun by
twisting of a cord causing bi-directional motion
 35
Although not in the universally
thought of shape of a top, the buzzer is included in the category
because it spins on a major axis, and is used as a toy. It is slightly
different in that it is a tethered object, meaning that it is attached
by a cord or string.
While the origin of the buzzer
is hidden somewhere in ancient history, almost every culture has had the
toy. Classical Greek paintings often show adult women or young boys
playing with it, usually in scenes of the rich or of Olympians. Examples
of the buzzer are also found in primitive Africa. Natives of South
America called it a ‘mow-mow." Other names for the buzzer are
whizzer, magic wheel and rhombus. It is made from a disc, wheel or
plate, through which strands pass through the center. The material of
the disc differed in differing cultures. In New Guinea, a shell was
used. An Eskimo may have preferred a leather disc, while a child in
Europe would most likely to have used a button. Once the disc is
revolving, the strings passing through are twisted and untwisted with
the alternating pull and relaxation of the tension, causing an
interesting visual effect as well as often a pleasant buzzing or humming
sound. In most uses, it is a form of independent play.
Most amazing is an Etruscan
mirror found of bronze with the image of a woman playing with a buzzer.
Etruscans were ancient people who lived in the 8th to 1st
centuries B.C. in central Italy. Very little remains of their language
or culture.
36
2. Yo-Yo - tethered top
causing bi-directional motion utilizing inertia and kinetic energy
See
Yo-Yo History for details.
3. Diabolo – a spool
which is run on a string between two sticks. Consists of two cones
placed end to end with a central shaft. Spun by holding a string
attached to two sticks and using friction between the string and shaft
by pumping the sticks. Seems to have been originated in China. During
the 100’s, missionaries brought the toy back with them from Europe.
Eventually made its way to the United States where it was commercially
sold in 1907 by Parker Bros.
4. Pump Top – pumped
with a downward thrust on a plunger moving on a spiral patch creating
spin to the body of the top. Succeeding pumps cause the top to
eventually spin on its own. Music or action was frequently added inside
of the top for amusement. (figure 37)
37
38 
Twirler Varieties
5. Spring top
– form of Twirler with a spring cap which is twisted onto the body of
the top. Action of pushing on a stem releases the top body from the
spring case causing the top to spin. This was 19th century
technology, but few remain in existence due to the eventual
deterioration of the spring mechanism. While original spring tops were
made out of metal, the more recent example shown here has a plastic
body. (figure 38)
6. Magic or Silhouette Top
– tops which were made in such a shape that they cast a shadow of a
face when spun.
The example here shows one of King Louis VI. (figure 39)
In 1790, a top was made depicting the profile of Marie-Antoinette.
In Germany, the ‘Zauberkreisel,’ or magic top, originated using a
wire form which when spun appeared as a solid and which create a
silhouette of a face.
7. Wizzer – During the 1960’s Matchbox company created this
top which had a built-in friction type motor that was activated by
sliding the top’s tip along a smooth surface. The photo here shows a
Wizzer made by the Tyco company. (figure 40) A similar top was also
developed by the Duncan company called the Whizzer.
8. Aeolian Top – this twirler variety top is propelled by wind.
Named after the Greek god of the Wind, Aeolus, this top was popular
during the 19th century. Consists of a disc with cut out and
angled upward slots with a pin inserted into the center. Blowing down in
the center, particularly through some sort of spool, will cause the top
to spin. (figure 41)
40 
Throwing Varieties
9.
Whistler/Humming top – tops with holes in order to produce sound.
The first U.S. patent of a top appears to be by Woodbridge in 1854 (No.
11187, Improvement in Whistling Tops)
10. Double Top / Twin Top – nested tops which split apart once thrown
or spun
11. Magnet Top – top with a magnetic peg at the cap. A metal ring
could then be placed on the finger, allowing the top to spin while
hanging down from the ring.
12. Chain Top – top containing a chain or string attached to the cap
of the top, which after thrown, would release the top from the tether.
 A.
B. 
C. 
D. 
E.
A. Duncan
Whistler
B. Duncan Twin Spin
C. Spintastics Double
Top using Hollow Point and SideWinder
D. MagneTop
E. Spintastics Chain Top (prototype
model)
SUMMARY
Although
logically inspired by nature, all tops appear to result in a use
related to pleasure and in some cases, sport. Tops have been used
throughout history as a distraction, a pastime, a skill, as votive
gifts to honor gods and an item to use in the afterlife. Concurrent
development of all forms of tops is the most likely theory, however,
to identify strong cultural influences for them in history, one
would think of Egypt, Greece and China for the whip top and
certainly Japan for the string-powered throwing top. While European
travelers impacted their dispersion through Europe and eventually to
north America, China and Japan continue to maintain top spinning as
true skilled art forms,. It is most likely that play brought about
the tops existence, and play most certainly has secured and
maintained its existence.
OTHER
INTERESTING TOP FACTS
Names
for Tops
1. Spanish –
trompo
2. Latin – turbo
3. Italian – trottola
4. French – la toupie
5. German – kreisel
6. Greek – strombos
The following photographs are from my personal collection
Dinner Tickets-1964 Spin Top
Duncan Spin Top "Mr.
Yo-Yo", Bob Rule
Championship
Champion Patch on
Minneapolis' 'Alex
in the Treehouse' show
Japanese hand Miscellaneous
Wooden Tops Mexican hand-carved top Modern
handcrafted
carved & painted
supported top where
nesting tops. Big
support is attached.
top is 3/4". 5 inner
painted tops!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. The Top
– Universal Toy, Enduring Pastime, by D.W. Gould, Clarkson N.
Potter, Inc., New York, 1973
2. Spinning Tops, by Larry Kettelkamp, Morrow Eagle
3. Antiques of American Childhood, by Katharine
Morrison McClinton, Bramhall House, New York
4. The Toy Book, by Gil Asakawa and Leland Rucker, Alfred A.
Knopf, New York, 1992
5. Antique Toys and Their Background, by Gwen White
6. The World Book Encyclopedia, Field Enterprises, Inc.
Chicago 1958
7. The Academic American Encyclopedia, Arete Publishing
Company, Inc. New Jersey, 1980
8. Webster’s New World Dictionary, World Publishing
Company, New York, 1955
9. Children's Toys Throughout the Ages, by Leslie Daiken, B.T.
Batsford Ltd, 1953
10. A History of Toys, by Antonia Fraser, George Weidenfeld
and Nicolson Ltd., Germany, 1966
11. The Historian’s Toy Box, by Eugene F. Prorenzo, Jr. and
Asterie Baker Prorenzo, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1979
12. The Little Book of Tops, by Don Olney, Running Press,
Philadelphia, 1993
PHOTOS
1. Gyroscope
– personal photograph
2. Acorn - drawn by Johnna Krantz
3. Maple Seed - drawn by Johnna Krantz
4. Shell – personal photograph
From The Top-Universal Toy,
Enduring Pastime, by D.W. Gould
5. Fire Starter, pg 22
6. Whorl, pg 25
7. Ceramic spinner from Troy, pg 8
8. Egyptian whip top, pg 6
9. Classical votive ceramic whip top, pg 15
10. Classical ceramic vase, pg 11
11. Classical ceramic plate, pg 423
12. Aristophanies – world wide web www.imagi-nation.com
13. Shakespeare – world wide web pathfinder.com
14. Twirler – Art Explosion clipart
15. Thorn spiked fruit – drawn by Johnna Krantz
16. Dreidel - Art Explosion clipart
17. Spindle Top – drawn by Johnna Krantz
18. ‘Tetsudo’ – personal photograph
19. Lantern Top – drawn by Johnna Krantz
20. Tippee Top - personal photograph
21. Modern supported top – personal photograph
22. Spintastics SideWinder Top – hand painted by Miguel Correa,
personal photograph
From The Top-Universal Toy, Enduring Pastime, by
D.W. Gould
23. Supported Top – pg 5
24.Whip Top, pg 19
25. Illustration from Roman d’Alexandre, 1344
26. Classical Ceramic, pg 1
27. Depiction of Parish Top, pg 91
28. Wood Block Print of throwing top, pg 143
29. Wood Block Print of various tops, pg 136
30. Duncan 1st place Contest Trophy – personal
photograph
31. Photograph from Minneapolis Star and Tribune May 31, 1964
of Valerie Larson, age 8 in spin top contest.
32. Flyer advertising National Top Contest – personal photograph
33. 1964 National Spin Top Finals patch – personal photograph
34. Photograph of Forest Larson and Don Duncan Jr. – 1964 National
Top Contest – personal photograph
35. Buzzer – drawn by Johnna Krantz
36. Etruscan mirror, The Top, Universal Toy, Enduring Pastime,
by G.W. Gould, pg 97
37. Pump Top – personal photograph
38. Spring Top – personal photograph
39. Silhouette Top, Antique Toys and Their Background, by
Gwen White, pg 43
40. Wizzer – personal photograph
41. Aeolian Top - The Historian’s Toybox, by Eugene F.
Prorenzo, Jr., pg 209
Figures
A.B.C. – personal photographs
D.E.F.G.H. – personal photographs
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