Flying Swallows 3

Newborns see contrast before they see color, and Christian Flensted knew it. He designed Flying Swallows in 1963 specifically to hang above a crib and be seen from below: three swallows in high-contrast black, white and gray, gliding on air currents in slow, calm loops. It's the mobile Flensted itself recommends for babies, and sixty years on it's still the one pediatric-minded parents ask for by name.

The three-bird version is 15 inches tall and 18 wide, sized for a crib, a bassinet corner, or a standard-height nursery ceiling. The swallows arrive flat and fold into shape in a couple of minutes; then they're balanced so finely that a parent walking past is enough to send them flying. It grows up well, too: in a hallway or over a desk it's simply a very good bird mobile.

Handmade in Denmark by the Flensted family workshop since 1953.

At a glance: Design: Christian Flensted, 1963 · Size: 15.4" H × 18.5" W (39 × 47 cm) · Materials: cardboard, stainless steel · Elements: 3 swallows · Assembly: fold swallows into shape · Designed to be viewed from below (crib-friendly) · Handmade in Denmark · Ships from Princeton, NJ