СПУТНИК SPUTNIK MUSIC BOX - MAKER? - USSR

Blue lithographed tinplate wind up musical box with space scenes. The tin box has a globe set into front with a channel surrounding it. A miniature space capsule orbits when a top lever is pulled. Makes a simple rhythmic plink-plonk noise. Russia. The toy has beautiful fantastical lithography drawn from Russian folklore: witches on broomsticks, people flying on birds etc. USSR, Eastern Europe. It is possible that the graphics relate to a 1956 Russian film called Старик Хоттабыч a fantasy comedy film produced in the USSR by Lenfilm in 1956 based on a children's book of the same name by Lazar Lagin. Leaflets included with the toy date this to 1961.