Cloth
I keep finding more and more various kinds of cloth picturing fables. There are several sets and then some individual pieces of cloth.
Canvas Tapestries
2000? Three fable canvas tapestries. 7¾" x 17½". FC, LM, and WL. $26.73 from "Une madeleine de Proust," Villennes-sur-Seine, France, through Etsy, Oct., '22.
Three delightful presentations! I wonder if the maker had patterns to work from or perhaps a book illustration. In any case, the maker chose lively scenes!
Cotton Panels by Juliette Mairel
1985 8 cotton fabric panels by Juliette Mairel. Paris. 18.5" x 15". Brown, Cream, Yellow, Black. $9.95 each -- except for FG for $7.50 -- from tmoney417 on Ebay, Sept. '21.
I find the illustrations exceptionally well done. The creator, captured on the edge of one of our clothes, seems otherwise unknown. The use for these clothes remains unclear to me, but I am delighted that they have not been used before!
Embroidered Napkins
1950? Set of 8 different La Fontaine fables embroidered large linen cocktail napkins. $270 from Curated Store through Ebay, Feb., '20.
Here is another surprise. I hope these were never used as napkins! My first and second attempts to photograph these worthily failed, as the white thread does not stand out from the white background in a normal photo. Those experiences explain my decision to photograph them on a window that allows the back light to highlight the heavier threads that make up the designs. Lovely work! Click on the napkin above to see all eight.
Felt Activity Book
1995? Aesop's Fables Felt Activity Book. Made in the USA. Salem, Utah: The Story Teller. $17.95 from The Story Teller Felt, Healdsburg CA, Nov., '97.
I found and ordered this curiosity at a craft fair in Sonoma County. The materials are here to construct a felt book with five pages. Each page is the scene for three different fables. Fifty-seven characters are supplied, ready to be stuck onto the scene in the appropriate places and otherwise to be stored in a pocket on the back of the page. The pocket lists a handy moral for each fable. The village scene includes BW, "A Man and His Sons," and "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing." The river scene has "Mercury and the Woodsman," "The Hares and the Frogs," and DS. The path is the scene for TH; "The Birds, the Beasts and the Bat"; and "The Boasting Traveller." Into the cave one can put LM, "The Sick Lion," and SW. Finally among the trees we find OF, "The Miser," and "The Trees and the Ax."
1995? Aesop's Fables Felt Activity Book cloth. Uncut. 37½" x 30½". Made in the USA. Salem, Utah: The Story Teller. $10 from an unknown source, April, '20.
Somewhere along the way I acquired the whole felt single unit from which scenes and characters are taken.
1995? Aesop's Fables Felt Activity Book. Made in the USA. Salem, Utah: The Story Teller. $10.95 from Jody Sumner, Towaco, NJ, April, '08. Here is an already constructed version of what I had earlier found as an assemblage of materials. Let me adapt and repeat some of my comments from that listing. This is a felt book with five pages. Each page is the scene for three different fables. Fifty-seven characters are supplied, ready to be stuck onto the scene in the appropriate places and otherwise to be stored in a pocket on the back of the page. The pocket lists a handy moral for each fable. The village scene includes BW, "A Man and His Sons," and "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing." The river scene has "Mercury and the Woodsman," "The Hares and the Frogs," and DS. The path is the scene for TH; "The Birds, the Beasts and the Bat"; and "The Boasting Traveller." Into the cave one can put LM, "The Sick Lion," and SW. Finally among the trees we find OF, "The Miser," and "The Trees and the Ax."
Full-Length Tapestries
1900? Two long tapestries formed from panels presenting fables of La Fontaine. About 10' x 18". Backed substantially. Gift of Gay Wirth of Wirthmore Antiques, New Orleans, August, '18.
In the 1980's I visited, among other New Orleans antiques stories, Wirthmore Antiques, specializing in French country antiques. I noticed two tapestries. I asked the owner, Gay Wirth, if she knew that these were representations of the fables of La Fontaine, and I walked through the fables pictured there. Were the tapestries, I asked, for sale? "No," she answered. "They are for now part of our décor. But I will be happy to get in touch with you when we change the décor." I was happy to look forward to that day! In 2018, I happened to be visiting New Orleans again. In the midst of an enjoyable visit, I wondered whatever had happened to Wirthmore Antiques. It turned out that they still were in business, though they had moved from their original venue. I called, and Ms. Wirth was delighted that I did. "Oh, Father, we had lost your name. We still have the tapestries. Could you come tomorrow?" I came and she laid out those two lovely tapestries that I had loved at first sight. Ms. Wirth said she was impressed with the fable collection and wanted to contribute the two tapestries! What a great gift! On the train ride home, when I needed to move to visit the dining car, I remember carrying the tapestries, nicely bundled at the antiques store, on my shoulder. I would not let them out of my sight!
Kitchen and Dish Towels
1980? French kitchen towel. TH. 18½" x 27". Cotton. Where and when?
This is one of the less flattering portraits of La Fontaine, I would say. The bright yellow is attractive, but there is not much spirit in this design.
1990? French dish towel featuring five fables: MM; 2P; WL; FG; and OF. $17.887 from froufrouretro through Etsy, Dec., 20.
Our first dish towel! I can find no markings about its date or origin. As with many French materials, the colors are lovely. The present image is temporary.
1990? French kitchen towel. FC. 16½" square. Cotton. €5 from Michel Prigent, Lavernose-Lacasse, France, through Ebay, May, '22.
What a lovely and lively design! This crow has no generic cheese. It is Camembert! Perfect condition.
1990? French kitchen towel. "The Fox and the Goat." 16½" square. Cotton. Where and when?
Here is another lively design! Is this fox waving goodbye to the silly goat? Perfect condition.
Individual Cloths
1950? Two Italian TH fable tapestries. Made in Italy. 32.5" x 11.25" and 18" x 11.25". Velour? Fringe-edged sides. $36 from Mrs. Germany, Oakhurst, OK, through Ebay, July, '99.
Another huge surprise from Ebay! The smaller design selects a portion of the larger. In the larger, a female rabbit at left looks right toward a running tortoise and a following rabbit, both running towards the left. The smaller tapestry has the "Made in Italy" label sewn on its back. The characters reproduce with astounding accuracy those found in Disney's early "Toby Tortoise and the Hare." See my versions listed in 1935 (twice) and 1938. My, how Aesopic motifs get around! One of the tell-tale details here is the hat perched on top of the antennae on the tortoise's head. The other is the fence of Miss Cottontail's Boarding School, where Toby stopped to show off to the girls.
1960? Heavy cotton fabric with several fable scenes among whisteria. 9 yards x 17" x 56" wide. $99.99 from Rennae Philllips, Issaquah, WA, through Ebay, March, '99.
Rennae is right: this is impressive fabric. The repeating scenes include FS, TH, "Two Cocks," and "The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox." Click on the upper portion for an overview and on the lower portion for a detail of FS.
1970? Hand-sewn, framed cross stitch "Aesop's Fables." A composition of four Aesop's fables titles and characters, 21" x 29". $48.59 from Maria Juhasz, Gainesville, FL, through Ebay, Nov., '99.
This large, framed, piece of stitchery puts together the four components in pleasing fashion. A heavy green border includes leaves above and below a design that announces "Aesop's Fables" at the upper left. Under it a fox has turned around from the grapes behind him to look at the viewer. He sits as though on an arch formed above the head of a lion lying across the base of the work. The lion looks at a small mouse before him. Above his haunch are the country and town mice talking to each other while perched, respectively, on a stalk of grain and a rope. Above the square which they occupy are a tortoise and hare under an arch. I am delighted to have found this and proud to display it in my office! If you click on it above, you will see a fuller-sized version.
1970? Crocheted doily of "The Fox and the Goat." $50 from an unknown source, March, '20.
Here is very delicate work. The fox has tried to talk the young goat into opening the door and has been rebuffed. Is "loup" here misspelled "loop"? I am not sure how a piece like this would have been used. My, how Aesop gets around!
1980? Feedsack cloth picturing CP. 32" x 10¾". $22.50 from elianabelle920 through Ebay, Nov., '22.
This is a lovely long stretch of blue cloth. I wonder if finding it sets me off a new search for fable feedsack cloths! Who would have thought it!
1988 Circular framed crewel-stitchery by Lois Carlson titled "Aesop's Fables." The stitchery presents five pairs: LM, TH, GGE, "The Tree and the Reed," and "The Horse and the Two Thieves."
I think it especially clever of Mom to find fables that gave her pairs of characters. In each pair, one dominates over the other. So the pine dominates over the reed, the lion over the mouse, and the goose over the golden egg. The formula works less well with the hare many times larger than the turtle and with the ass that is many times larger than both the miller and his son. The two human images work together to flank the larger animal between them.
1999 Marvic Textiles "Les Fables De La Fontaine" Toile Printed 100% Cotton Fabric. 2 Yds+35.5". F-231. $79.95 from marcus*d on Ebay, April, '23.
This is a serious piece of cloth and a wonderful addition to the collection! The repeated pattern includes eight fables, four to a column, with one column featuring ovals and hexagons, and the other circles and octagons. The eight fables are, in one column, "Elephant and Pug"; "The Fox and the Bust"; BS; and "Two Bulls and the Frogs." The other column features "The Oyster and the Litigants"; "The Horse and the Ass"; "The Man and the Satyr"; and "The Lioness and the She-Bear." The cloth is beautifully executed and in excellent condition. My guess at its age is pure speculation! My thanks to the seller for providing a rich array of views of this impressive cloth! Click on the cloth to see some various views of this lovely piece!
2000? Tortoise and Hare cross-stitch with French "goal" sign. 8½" x 20". $30 from Tess Moran, Poolesville, MD, through Ebay, May, '22.
Though the seller notes a small flaw among the flowers, this is still a lovely creation! Framed and ready to hang.
2002? Cross-stitch "Easy Does it!" TH. Felt over a board. 8” x 10”. $5.75 from Diane Strohmenger, March, '04.
Images depict a hare and a tortoise above and below, respectively, the rather unusual moral “Easy Does it!” sewn into the center of the image.
Needlepoint
2004 Needlepoint of FC "Wrought by the Hand." Dorothy Unangst. 9½" x 7½". Unknown source and time of acquisition.
Very nice work! In this case, the crow is perched on top of a roof rather than in a tree. The composition is lovely. Trees on either side frame the house together with the two characters. Beautifully framed.
Needlepoint Patterns
2022 Five sets of needlepoint pattern pages for finished work displaying fables of La Fontaine. €6.60 each from opointdecroix on Ebay, July, '22.
I thought I would be receiving paper through the mail. What I received was rather a large set of pdf patterns through email. The sets, from 12 pages to 36 per project, fit together to complete the whole picture. I present here the finished designs, with the number of pages needed to create the design.