Ocarina
Category
Musical instruments, devices and recordings
Date
1960 - 1969
Materials
Terracotta and card
Measurements
Bird - 50 mm (length); 40 mm (height), Box - 57 mm (length); 56 mm (width); 30 mm (height)
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 666124
Summary
A small card box with a lid containing a Japanese whistle (1960s). Each side of the box has a decorative pattern of blues, gold and red stuck onto it and bordered by black. Inside of the box is a small white bird made of terracotta. The bird has been painted white with pink and green wings, pink round its neck and tail and green on the top of its head. Its eyes are red and black and it has a yellow beak with a red line across it. Underneath the bird is a small round hole and at the top end of its tail is a small slit as on a whistle. Notes made by Elizabeth Spencer record that this whistle comes from the north end of the main island and was played with by very young children. These Japanese toys and other objects were given as gifts to the donor when she visited Japan on a lecture tour. She had written an autobiographical book (in the 1960s) which had been translated into Japanese so she was well known there. Total number of items is 3.
Provenance
Donated to the Museum of Childhood by Miss Eileen Colwell in October 1991.