vintage Japan cake topper baby animals train candle holders for birthday candles

Vintage birthday cake topper, a circus train of little animals, each car made to hold a birthday candle. Train is made of a chalkware type of material, and measures about 11 1/2" long end to end.

This looks like it was used once, and then carefully stored away in the original box for years. There's a few bits of old wax on the candle holders, but no breakage or repairs to these pieces.

Box still has the excelsior packing, but box itself is falling apart. The paper label and cardboard are worn, brittle and dusty.