This miniature laying hen, manufactured in Portugal by Osul, delighted many children in the 1960s and 1970s, being one of the emblematic products of Pedrinho Amiguinho, the most popular toy shop in Angra in the last century.
Available in white or yellow, with a red-painted comb and black feet, each hen, when pressed, would open its wings and lay one of the three eggs contained in its abdomen.
The Osul factory originated from the split of Luso-Celuloide, founded in Espinho in 1931, which was primarily dedicated to the production of costume jewellery and trinkets. Around twenty years later, when one of the two founding brothers established Hércules, devoted exclusively to toy manufacturing, the original company reversed its name from Luso to Osul.
This piece forms part of the Toys and Games Collection of the Museum of Angra do Heroísmo.
