The Romany Gypsies are an ethnic group who now mainly live in Europe. Over the last 150 years the livelihood and living situation of these travelling people has changed dramatically. The Horse drawn, painted, one roomed house on wheels is believed to originate in France in the early 19th Century. Its Romanesque characteristics, its baroque carvings and bright colours are likely to have been picked up from wanderings in Central and Eastern Europe. The same folk art and symbols can often be seen in art work in Poland, Romania, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.