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H5359 Teething ring with rattle, ivory / organic material / metal, maker unknown, place of production unknown, 19th century. Click to enlarge.

Baby teething ring and rattle

This is a combined baby's teething ring and rattle. In the Victorian period coral was traditionally used for babies to cut their teeth on. The smooth hardness of coral was said to be ideal for the purpose, though teething rings were also made of ivory, vegetable ivory (from Corozo nuts), amber and ebony. Teething rings were often combined with the baby's rattle, most elaborately hung with metal bells like this one. A cheaper version had a wooden handle with bells sewn onto leather strips.

Summary

Object No.

H5359

Object Statement

Teething ring with rattle, ivory / organic material / metal, maker unknown, place of production unknown, 19th century

Physical Description

Baby's teething ring and rattle, [ivory], 1800s,

Dimensions

Height

125 mm

Width

53 mm

Depth

32 mm

Source

Credit Line

MAAS Collection, 1955

Acquisition Date

31 March 1955

Cite this Object

Harvard

Baby teething ring and rattle 2023, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 25 March 2023, <https://ma.as/243023>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/243023 |title=Baby teething ring and rattle |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=25 March 2023 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}