Ziet kindren ziet, dit is u zaak! / Deez kleinen speelen met vermaak; / En hoe zy hoeplen, tollen, speelen, / niet een van hun hoord gy krakeelen 1791 - 1812

This print by Jacobus Thompson shows children playing with toys. The images capture moments of joy and carefree innocence, but also reveal deep-seated cultural values and anxieties. Consider the recurring motif of children wielding toy weapons: swords, bows and arrows, and even mock firearms. These images are more than mere depictions of play. The child warrior mirrors Mars, the god of war, a figure linked to courage but also primal instinct. It connects to earlier Renaissance allegories, where virtues and vices are embodied as figures enacting war. The use of weapons in play reflects a culture grappling with themes of power, conflict, and perhaps even inherited trauma. Observe how these motifs have morphed through centuries, from emblems of virtue to complex symbols of societal tension.