Vintage Tin Japanese Y-Shaped Whistle- Clown and Acrobats

This 1950’s vintage Japanese whistle is one of the more uncommon ones..... and one of my favorites.

It has a double tone and is in the shape of a Y.  A colorfully dressed clown juggling knives is on the lower part of the Y and the upper arms show two girl acrobats balancing on a bar above the clown’s head. 

There are loads of details including musical notes, red and blue bubbles and a weird dressed mouse centered between the girls on the bar.

The whistle is 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) tall and 1.75 inches (4.5 cm) at the widest point.

 This is not an easy whistle to find. When I had an opportunity to get a few of them I did not hesitate, despite their less than perfect condition.

The colors are muted and the surface is not shiny. Some of this is due to storage conditions and to wear and tear. The top surface shows light scratches and wear. The back surface has darkened with age and shows some light rust spots.