Vintage Unusual Silver Plated? Metal Cat Playing a Violin Baby Rattle with Whistle and Wood Handle

Description:  A nice and unusual vintage metal (possibly silver plated) baby rattle. The rattle is in the form of a cat playing the violin. The cat is standing and attached to a wooden handle with a metal loop at the bottom. The cat has a whistle on top of its head and four metal balls chained to it. The balls appear to be filled with what we believe are metal particles that make rattling noises when they are shaken. The wooden handle is riveted to the bottom of the cat. The while works great and the piece makes quite a bit of rattling noises when shaken. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.

Date: Uncertain, but most likely early to mid 1900s, and could be earlier.

Origin: Unknown.

Size: Rattle measures ~5 3/4" long, ~1 1/4" wide, and is ~3/8" thick. The piece weighs 1 1/2 ounces.

Maker: Unknown.

Marks: Unmarked.

Condition: The piece is in very good condition with no breaks or repairs. The handle is textured with what looks like teeth marks, but we believe it may have been repainted in black. Other than that the whistle works well and the piece appears to be all original. A beautiful and very unusual baby rattle worthy of a spot in your collection. The piece would probably benefit from a good polishing, but we chose to leave it as found , so you decide whether or not you want to clean it.