{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O122807"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O122807/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O122807","accessionNumber":"B.127-2004","objectType":"Puppet","titles":[{"title":"Muffin the Mule","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"Muffin the Mule was a puppet character that first appeared in the BBC's Children's Hour series of television programmes. The original programmes were presented by Annette Mills (1894-1955), sister of the actor John Mills (1908-2005), and featured Muffin dancing on a piano while Mills played it. The programmes were first broadcast by the BBC from 1946 to 1955 and then shown on ITV in 1956 and 1957. A new modern animated version of Muffin was launched on the BBC in 2005.\r\n\r\nMuffin the Mule started life as the Kicking Mule. He was originally carved by Punch and Judy expert carver Fred Tickner as a commission for Jan Bussell and his wife Ann Hogarth. The Bussells had formed the Hogarth Puppet Theatre in 1932 and the Kicking Mule partnered Crumpet the Clown as part of their Circus. When Annette Mills visited the Bussells in 1946 looking for new ideas she chose the mule and clown. She named the mule Muffin, and it first appeared on television in an edition of For the Children broadcast on 20 October 1946.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting image making","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted metal","categories":[{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Dolls & Toys","id":"THES48967"},{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"YVA","id":"THES48593"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES343588"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"puppets","id":"AAT138750"}],[{"text":"marionettes","id":"AAT211126"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1950-1955","earliest":"1950-01-01","latest":"1955-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Undine Concannon","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Metal Moko Muffin the Mule marionette puppet made in England in the early 1950s","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["B.127-2004"],"accessionNumberNum":"127","accessionNumberPrefix":"B","accessionYear":2004,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-29","recordCreationDate":"2006-04-06","availableToBook":false}}