Teething Ring
19th century
| Artist/Maker |
This baby's teething ring features the silver head of the puppet character Mr. Punch from a traditional Punch and Judy show. Punch and Judy shows are a feature of British seaside entertainment whose history in Great Britain stretches back to the puppet show that Samuel Pepys noted seeing in Covent Garden on 9 May 1662 performed by the Italian puppeteer Signor Bologna. This included a marionette, or string puppet as Pulcinello or Punch, but by the 19th century Punch was more usually a glove puppet, performed in a portable booth by one performer who had a character on each hand.
Punch became a popular character in Britain by the 19th century, when images of Punch and Judy were used as decorative motifs on a range of household items. In 1841 the magazine Punch, or the London Charivari was established, named after the comic and anarchic character of Mr. Punch whose image appeared on its cover.
Punch became a popular character in Britain by the 19th century, when images of Punch and Judy were used as decorative motifs on a range of household items. In 1841 the magazine Punch, or the London Charivari was established, named after the comic and anarchic character of Mr. Punch whose image appeared on its cover.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | carved ivory with beaten and chased silver and mother of pearl |
| Brief description | Baby's teething ring comprising an ivory ring to which is attached a handle of mother-of-pearl handle mounted within a silver head of Mr. Punch from a Punch and Judy show. 19th century. Gerald Morice Collection. |
| Physical description | Baby's teething ring comprising an ivory ring to which is attached a mother-of-pearl handle mounted within a silver head of Mr Punch from a Punch and Judy show. 19th century. Gerald Morice Collection. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Gerald Morice |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This baby's teething ring features the silver head of the puppet character Mr. Punch from a traditional Punch and Judy show. Punch and Judy shows are a feature of British seaside entertainment whose history in Great Britain stretches back to the puppet show that Samuel Pepys noted seeing in Covent Garden on 9 May 1662 performed by the Italian puppeteer Signor Bologna. This included a marionette, or string puppet as Pulcinello or Punch, but by the 19th century Punch was more usually a glove puppet, performed in a portable booth by one performer who had a character on each hand. Punch became a popular character in Britain by the 19th century, when images of Punch and Judy were used as decorative motifs on a range of household items. In 1841 the magazine Punch, or the London Charivari was established, named after the comic and anarchic character of Mr. Punch whose image appeared on its cover. |
| Associated object | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.1991-2013 |
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| Record created | May 22, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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