Finnish Silver-plated Sleigh Bell, c. Early 1900s

Description:

These bells were brought to America from Ouln, Finland c. 1911-1914 by August Koskela as a gift for his uncle, Andrew Kungas, a Finnish immigrant living in Phelps, Wisconsin. His daughter, Marie Kungas Rotter, the donor, found them in a horse barn and recalled how they made a beautiful sound and were used for many years during winter months driving her family's team of horses in the north woods, where her father, like many Finnish immigrants, had found work in the logging industry. She said this silver-plated bell was used on a single horse when the family used the cutter to drive to town five miles away. The leather mounting is original and the bell would have been fastened to a harness.

Brought To United States: 1911 - 1914

User: Kungas, Andrew

Place Made: FinlandUsed: United States: Wisconsin, Phelps

Referenced: ImmigrationMigrationUsed: SleighingSeasons

Subject:

See more items in: Home and Community Life: Ethnic, Many Voices, One Nation

Exhibition: Many Voices, One Nation

Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Credit Line: Mrs. Marie Rotter

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1981.0632.04Catalog Number: 1981.0632.04Accession Number: 1981.0632

Object Name: Bell, SleighObject Type: suspended bellsOther Terms: Bell, Sleigh; Traditional

Physical Description: metal (overall material)leather (overall material)metal, silver-plated (overall material)Measurements: overall: 8 in; 20.32 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-fdb7-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1058960

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.