{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O175913"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O175913/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BP5531/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BP5531/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BP5531","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP5571","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP5532","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP5518","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O175913","accessionNumber":"B.50:1 to 3-2005","objectType":"Mechanical toy","titles":[{"title":"Moon Explorer","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Battery-operated vehicle in the form of a fantastical spacecraft, made from tin-plated mild steel. It is colour lithographed and is predominantly red and white, with details in other colours. The spaceship is broadly rocket-shaped with a clear plastic window at the front, behind which an astronaut sits at a control panel. The sides have white stripes with the words 'Moon Explorer'printed in black. There are four round windows printed in blue on both sides. The front of the spaceship has a silver bumper and at the back there are three fins. On the base are three wheels and the opening for the batteries to be placed inside. The original card box has a plain base and the top is printed with an image of the spaceship flying through space, with a blue background.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Masudaya","id":"A23897"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"tinplate","id":"x32089"},{"text":"mild steel","id":"AAT10911"},{"text":"plastic","id":"AAT14570"},{"text":"paper","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"pressing","id":"AAT53136"},{"text":"colour lithography","id":"AAT190525"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Colour lithographed tin-plated mild steel, pressed","categories":[{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Dolls & Toys","id":"THES48967"},{"text":"Toy vehicles","id":"THES274369"},{"text":"Mechanical toys","id":"THES274375"},{"text":"Play","id":"THES274366"}],"styles":[{"text":"space age","id":"x43335"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":["2007BP5531","2007BP5571","2007BP5532","2007BP5518"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CA010","id":"THES388291"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR011","id":"THES341117"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"SR011","id":"THES341117"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"mechanical toy","id":""}],[{"text":"space toy","id":""}],[{"text":"box lid","id":""}],[{"text":"box base","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Tokyo (city)","id":"x32430"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1965","earliest":"1960-01-01","latest":"1969-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"15.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"36","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'MOON EXPLORER'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"This object was acquired for the V&A Museum of Childhood's exhibition Space Age: Exploration, Design and Popular Culture, which opened on 22nd November 2007. It was bought at Christie's in November 2005 as part of a collection of robots and space toys. The collector, Paul Lips, ran an antique toy shop in Milan from the early 1990s, where he became particularly interested in space toys. The collection covered what he believed to be their golden age: 1955 to 1965.","historicalContext":"After the Second World War, Japan became the pre-eminent manufacturer of tin toys through direct financial support from the United States for its toy industry, and through preferential access to US toy markets. Importantly, Japanese manufacturers were able to perfect small battery-powered motors, which gave Japanese toys a superior range of movements. One of the most celebrated subjects expressed in tin toys is space and space travel. Many highly imaginative toys were produced in the era of the Space Age (1957-1972), inspired by the widespread optimism of the times, and by a fresh public appetite for all things space.\n","briefDescription":"Boxed battery operated tin toy spaceship, Moon Explorer, made in Japan by Masudaya, ca. 1965.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"spacecraft","id":"AAT233886"},{"text":"astronauts","id":"x38591"},{"text":"spacecraft","id":"AAT212528"},{"text":"rockets","id":"AAT222214"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"space travel","id":"x43575"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.50:1-2005","B.50:2-2005","B.50:3-2005"],"accessionNumberNum":"50","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":2005,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","mechanical toy","box lid","box base"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-11","recordCreationDate":"2008-11-27","availableToBook":false}}