Rattle, Whistle, and Bells
Unknown Artist
1835–36
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
5 1/4 x 2 in. (13.3 x 5.1 cm)
Classification
Rattle
Culture
British
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Gifts in memory of Mrs. Thomas Clearwater, Leo D. Bretter Gift, Bequest of Adeline R. Brown, by exchange, Osceola Foundation Inc. Gift, and Gifts of Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Garbat, Manya Garbat Starr and Julian A. Garbat, by exchange, 1978
Accession Number
1978.287
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the enchanting world of 19th-century childhood with *Rattle, Whistle, and Bells*, a delightful silver toy crafted in Britain around 1835–36. Measuring just 5¼ x 2 inches, this compact object combines a rattle, whistle, and bells into single plaything, perfect for an infant's tiny hands. Made of gleaming silver—a luxurious material reserved for affluent families—this piece exemplifies the exquisite metalworking traditions of the era, where silversmiths skillfully shaped and assembled components to produce joyful sounds that stimulated early sensory development. Though the artist rema...