The Rattle

The child on this vase has been shown holding a rattle. Other images of children with rattles have survived from Classical Greece as have actual rattles. They were clearly a common part of childcare and education in ancient Greece.

Rattles teach young children cause and effect. They gradually realise that they are causing the rattling sound through their movements. This helps them begin to make sense of the world. As children get older, rattles can bring them on to something more advanced. They can learn control, and perform increasingly complex rhythms. In The Rattle animation, the child moves through this process, progressing from random shaking, to a more complex, controlled pattern.

For philosophers such as Pythagoras and his circle, the mastery of rattle and rhythm was part of the structuring of a young child's mind. This educational play would support development and was an element of the child becoming more rational, more fully human. Their movements would cease being random and animalistic; their actions would be considered and purposeful as they became a more socialised being.

This vase was created in Athens, Greece, in around 440-430BCE. It was excavated in Attica (the territory of Athens). For some time, it was owned by Jean P Lambros (1843-1909) an art dealer who lived in Athens. He sold it to the British Museum, where it is now housed (British Museum 1910,0615.4). 

The vase is a jug, or ‘chous’. It is small, only 11.15cm tall, with decoration on the front and a handle on the back. 

The jug has been decorated in the red figure style. The central image is of a young child. The things around the child are things from a child's world. He has been seated on a purpose-built potty high chair. These chairs were ceramic, that is, made from clay. That would make them solid and easy to clean. There's a hole at the front for the child's legs to come through. The vase painter has shown the child's legs at different heights which creates the impression of him waggling them. The chair gives support for the child's back. And there's a hole in the seat into a chamber below where a bowl or something similar would be placed to collect waste.

The child is holding a rattle. Having it in their hand gives it a special prominence. As described in About The Rattle, rattles were a common part of childcare and education in ancient Greece. They taught young children cause and effect and helped to develop their minds.

On the floor in front of the child is a small jug. As well as having a practical aspect, the image of the jug may be said to represent a child's education in ritual matters. They would witness rituals in the home, where pouring liquid offerings – libations - would be a frequent activity. As they grew older, children would see and participate in rituals of this sort at public events, preparing them to carry out these rituals themselves as adults.

On the other side of the image is a toy – a trundle wheel. A wheel on a stick like this was known to the Greeks as a 'hamaxis'. These are used to encourage children learn to walk, making it fun and playful.

You can find out more about early childhood in the About the Rattle documentary on the About Rattles and Ancient Infancy tab.

This animation was made as part of Locus Ludi, a project exploring play and games in the classical world. The animation explores the way that the original image suggests the different things that an infant needs to thrive. The high-chair/potty teaches cleanliness; the jug is part of learning ritual; the trundle-wheel helps them learn to walk; the rattle teaches rhythm and control.

The child also needs adults to help them develop. The woman who appears in The Rattle was taken from a vase made in Athens in the same period as The Rattle jug. Originally she was the winged goddess of victory, Nike. You can see her animated as Nike in The Procession and Bad Karma. To prepare her for The Rattle, her wings were removed to make her mortal. The wreath on her head was removed for the more everyday setting of The Rattle. Nike's dress was made plainer, however it still hangs in folds with the nipped-in waist typical of Greek dresses. The woman could be interpreted as the child's mother, although many Greek households would employ women of lower status to do child care, such as wet nurses and nannies. Some households would hold women enslaved for the same purpose. However you prefer to interpret her, you can see that the woman responds to the child's needs and attempts to communicate, nurturing his development.

A body was created for the child so that he could be removed from the high-chair. A string of charms was created, which is tied around his torso. These were often given to young children for their protection, and they are frequently shown in vase scenes of infancy. Amulets and charms intended to put off malign forces were a welcome reassurance to a child’s family.

The child is on his way to being a more active member of society.

The Rattle powerpoint.