Image of a clockwork tin bunny toy from the V&A collection against an orange dotted background with a yellow halo

Weird and Wonderful Easter Related Objects in V&A

When you think of Easter, we bet you think of bunnies, chicks, and chocolate eggs! Well, get ready to see some of the less cute objects – from odd egg toys, creepy Easter bunnies and other weird and wonderful Easter-related objects at the V&A. We bet you weren’t eggspecting this!

1. Spinning toy

A photograph of a mechanical spinning toy with a plunger mechanism. The object consists of a segmented egg with a yellow chick inside, against a grey white gradient background.

This 1930s spinning toy is operated by a push plunger that reveals a baby chick inside an egg. The egg segments alone look like an accident waiting to happen. We’d advise goggles when operating the spin! Look out!

2. Soft Toy

A photograph of a soft toy of a yellow chick with orange beak and feet. It is missing an eye. Against a grey background.

This small soft toy has seen better days. Made out of wool plush with wire feet and a painted wooden beak, it is hardly a cuddly bedtime companion. Poor little thing! We are sure at one point it had its eyes, otherwise it looks like The Nightmare Before Easter!

3. Novelty Doll

A photograph of a novelty doll - a toy baby encased in an egg inside a decorative box, against a grey and black background.

Imagine the scene. It’s the late 1800s, Easter is approaching…

“Let’s make a doll for Easter!”

“Oh, marvellous! The children will love it!” 

“It will be a baby hatching out of an egg and you can take the head off to find sugared almonds to eat.”

“Errr, sure.”

4. Skull Bunny

A print by the artist Nomad showing a drawing of a bunny with a skull face and bones sticking out of it's head on a yellow background in a black frame. The image is bordered with orange background.

Skull bunny for the win! This is a 2009 print by Nomad, depicting a bunny with skull and crossbones. To be fair, this would look very cool on a bedroom wall. Maybe not in the spirit of Easter though!

5. Pure Evil. Frost on the Thames 1814.

A print of a giant vampire bunny walking through London against a moonlit night and bats flying in the air, dropping people into the Thames river.

And maybe not one for the bedroom wall, this beautiful but terrifying 2009 street art by the artist Pure Evil, shows a vampire bunny scattering people into the river. Festive!

6. Clockwork Toy

A photograph of a tin plate clockwork toy of a rabbit with a colourful jacket and painted red and black eyes, holding it's paw up to it's chin, against a white and grey background.

Eeek this little clockwork rabbit toy has bundles of charm. One of the most fun Easter related things, this toy was made in China for local children. It doesn’t just sit still and look cute either: when the rabbit is wound up, it hops!