All Photos By Gail

Created in 1963, Wrapped Toy Horse is a small but telling early work by Christo and Jeanne-Claude that offers a glimpse into the origins of their now-iconic artistic language. Long before they wrapped bridges, coastlines, and monuments, the artists were experimenting with fabric and binding on an intimate, domestic scale.


Christo and Jeanne-Claude Holding the Wrapped Toy Horse in 1963

The piece features a child’s toy horse on wheels, tightly wrapped in cloth and secured with twine. The familiar form remains visible beneath the layers, yet its purpose is suspended. No longer a toy to be played with, it becomes something mysterious and contemplative— a sculptural object that asks the viewer to look again at what they think they know.

This early “wrapped object” belongs to a period when Christo was exploring everyday items — cans, bottles, furniture, and toys—as subjects for transformation. By concealing them, he paradoxically made their shapes more pronounced, shifting attention to contour, volume, and surface. The act of wrapping was not about hiding, but about re-framing.

Wrapped Toy Horse is also notable for its personal scale and emotional resonance. Unlike the monumental public works that would later define Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s career, this piece feels private and almost tender. It suggests themes of memory, protection, and restraint, while still embodying the conceptual rigor that would carry through their later projects.

Today, Wrapped Toy Horse stands as an important precursor to the artists’ environmental works — a reminder that even the most ambitious ideas often begin with small, quiet gestures.

Photographed at The Winter Show NYC and Available From Jonathan Boos for the Price of $450,000.