Moroccan rattle

This rattle, used by Moroccan Jews, includes a branch of coral which was already found on rattles in portraits of children of the Flemish aristocracy as early as the 17th century. This protuberance allows little ones to teethe, all the while providing them with magical protection because, in many European and Mediterranean societies, coral was often believed to be endowed with protective powers. This credit was the result of the fascinating material’s in-between status as a mix of animal, vegetable and mineral, coupled with its marine - and often exotic - origins and, above all, its blood red colour.