Tableware
I have been surprised at the number of things that a person can put onto a table to reflect a fable. Three manufacturers cut across categories of items, so I will list them first and then offer some kinds of things that go on tables. Click on one of the two choices.
Specific kinds of Tableware
Most of the tableware I have found finds a given manufacturer making only one kind of object relating to fables--or at least, in each case, that is all I am aware of so far. Click on a button to see what I have found in each of these categories:
Ash Trays
1960? Salt glaze ash tray presenting FS. Buchecker Co. Excelsiorwerk, Lucern, Switzerland. $6 from Jack De Foe, Peoria, AZ, through Ebay, April, '99.
The stork eats and drinks while the fox can only look into his long, tall glass. The legend underneath the scene reads "Buchecker a pour chaque vin son verre. La cigogne n'en a pas pour le renard!" "Buchecker has for every wine its own glass. The stork did not have the right one for the fox!" I take it that Buchecker is a glass-supplier for wine bars. Their description on the back says that the produce glass, porcelain, and crystal for restaurants, hotels, and bars. What a lovely little bit of Aesop to show up on a bar counter!
1980? Metal ashtry with FC advertising Charpentier Perpignan. Signed A. Péron. 3¾" x 4". Unknown source.
Great simple design. Three channels for holding cigarettes. A surprisingly heavy piece. I tried to find which or what "Charpentier" would have sponsored or produced this ashtray. Could it be the famous house of jewelry since 1698, Jeanne Charpentier?
Bowls
1910? Sterling bowl labelled "Sterling E S C." 6½" in diameter. With six fable titles and images around its inner rim. $200 from maxbernat through Ebay, March, '22.
The six segments are particularly well done. Even the transition sections, each in three parts, follow a theme but vary it in each case. Lovely! The choice of fables to offer departs from the usual here in several cases.
Center Handle Plate
1990? Center-handle-plate. FC in vivid colors. Circular. 11" in diameter. €24 from maconlection through Ebay, Jan., '22.
I am not too sure what a center-handle-plate is used for most frequently, but this one is colorful to be sure! Unfortunately, it suffered somewhere in its long travels. I did a clumsy job of putting the major pieces back, so that we can see what the FC image is like. Might this be a one-of-a-kind piece? I find no trademarks or other indications.
Children's Tableware
So far I have found three different sets of children's tableware:
German Red & Colored
1900? Various parts of a children's toy tea set. From markings on two pieces, I presume that the whole set was made in Germany.
This handled pitcher stands almost 2" high and displays FS against a bright red litho and blue flower background trimmed in gold. In all of the FS scenes here, the stork has his beak well down into what looks like a bottle, which the fox watches intently. $40.99 from Jo-Ann Deacon, Hamilton, Ontario, through Ebay, Feb., '00.
This teapot, just over 2" high and with a handle going even higher, is missing its spout. It has the same FS scene as above, though some heavy rust obscures it. $5 from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, Nov., '00.
This handle-less cup, 1½" high, shows DLS. The DLS scene is surprising in that the donkey is moving left in the left half of the panel, and the sheep in the right half are moving right. $36.99 from Jo-Ann Deacon, Hamilton, Ontario, through Ebay, Feb., '00.
This cup, 1½" high, features WL but it has lost its handle. It has "Germany" printed near its seam. $12 from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, Nov., '00.
This WL saucer, 2¾" in diameter, matches the cup just above. $15 from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, August, '00.
This cup, 1½" high, has its handle and features FC. $25 from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, August, '00.
This FC saucer, 2¾" in diameter, matches the cup just above. $15 from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, August, '00.
These two FS cups, 1½" high, are identical. $12 each from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, Nov., '00.
Two such FS saucers, 3 3/8" in diameter, match the cups just above. Two exemplars. $12 each from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, Nov., '00.
This tray may or may not belong to the set. It has the same theme of floral patterns in front of a bright red background. It features FG. 11 3/8" x 7½". Whether through scratches or just age, the metal shows through the painted design at a number of small spots on the upper surface of the tray. $65 from Marlene Schmidt, Readlyn, Iowa, August, '00.
Golden Plates
1910? Six Tin Tea Set Plates. Each 5.5" in diameter. FC, FS, OF, and WL, with extras of OF and WL. $45 each for three from Ray Hanson, Garland TX through Ebay, Feb., '99. Three further plates from another source at another time.
The curved edge of each, almost an inch in width, has a green, gold, and red pattern. Then in the center is a multicolored illustration. OF is the best preserved of the original set; it seems to lack the pock-marking of the other two. All three show some rust and staining. They may have spent some serious time in someone's attic or even sand-box! FC is the most worn of the later three. In fact, OF and WL are in very good condition. What a great and curious find!
German Red & Grey
1920? Coordinated set of nine tin tableware implements. German? $80 from Claudia and Waltraud Pressler, Ellhofen, Germany, Sept., '01.
There is even a strainer to hang on the wall rack. The set, with a grey background, features three motifs in red-and-black coloring:
- TH: The hare reads the paper while the tortoise trudges by.
- FC: The crow in a tree holds a large cheese suspended above the fox's mouth.
- FS: The fox raises a paw to a tall bottle in which the stork has his beak.
Cigarette Boxes
1920? Vintage pottery cigarette box and ashtray. 5¾" x 6" x 4" in height. $6.37 from Margy Farmer, Greenfield, IN, through Ebay, Sept., '00.
Vintage pottery cigarette box and ashtray, with bunches of grapes on either side of the ashtray, one fox between the grapes and the box, and a second fox serving as the handle of the box. His tail has been repaired. Click on the image to see a larger reproduction.
Cups
1950? Matching cup and saucer with the former featuring WC flanked by a tree group and a fence group. The saucer offers three images apparently not directly related to fables: dogs pointing, wolves (?) attacking a lamb, and a pheasant. The cup stands 2.25" high and has about the same diameter, and the saucer is a little over 4.5" in diameter. White (porcelain?) with gray illustrations. There is one serious chip in the cup. $8 from John Cawley, Blue Jay, CA, through Ebay, Feb., '00.
A small, dainty set. Maybe the biggest surprise lies in the way it moves from a fable scene on the cup to three generic animal scenes on the saucer. Might this have belong to a child's set? It seems small for adults. I am not sure that I want, while eating, to look at a stork putting his beak down a wolf's throat!
1990? Large gray and blue cup with "No act of kindness no matter how small . . . is ever wasted. Aesop" on two sides. Royal Norfolk. Chesapeake, VA: Greenbrier International. From Sharon Green, Dallas, TX, thru eBay, perhaps Feb., '06.
The quotation used on this large cup has become rather standard for citation on mugs, mousepads, t-shirts, and elsewhere. It comes presumably from LM. I am not sure it fits exactly with fable wisdom. Fable wisdom might say "Sometimes you can help yourself by helping other people!" I preached this past weekend that values not rooted in stories are ephemeral, and this may be an example. I want to know "What story did that saying come from?" This is one of many eBay purchases lost in history, and I can find little about this cup on the web.
1995? Gray and brown cup with black lettering and brown figure. "If you deal with a fox, think of his tricks. Jean de La Fontaine." Made in Japan. Annamieke Laport, Salem, OR, through eBay, August, '
A good question would be: "Which fable of La Fontaine does this come from?" Often the fox in La Fontaine seems wise but comes up losing, as when the cat does better with its one trick of climbing the tree than the fox does with his hundred dodges. The crow in FC can certainly learn frm the fox's tricks. The fox on this cup has a suitcase -- or at least a valise -- ready to go.
1996 Black and white cup featuring Robert Dole and Bill Clinton as tortoise and hare. Artist: Milt Prigee. China: Linyi. Silver phr nix. $1 from Sharon and Kelly Smith, Hayden ID, through eBay, August, '04.
The curious thing about the design on this mug is that Clinton is heading in one direction and Dole is heading in the other! The design is signed ""MPriggee. KPBX. '96. Spokane."
2000? Brown and cream cup featuring FS. Katherine Hackl, Spindletop Studios, Stockton, NJ.
A fox with an attitude looks directly at a peaceful stork standing over a vase. Plants fill in the open spaces on this almost geometric cup. The base of the cup is stamped with a fish.
Glasses
Amora Mustard Jars/Juice Glasses
1980? Eight Amora mustard jars. Usable as drinking glasses. Amora: Le Moutarde de Dijon."
The yellow of the mustard would have brought out the color of at least most of these jars. Amora pushed this series, following up with blotters and dust jackets.
1990? Two tall water glasses with bold black designs and morals. FG and TH.
Knife Rests
So far I have found five kinds of knife-rests in varying styles:
Stephane Prudhomme Knife Rests
1930 Complete set of twelve silver plated kniferests (portes couteaux) by Stephane Prudhomme illustrating favorite fables. Apparently in the original box. $154.71 from brocs_en_stock on Ebay, Jan., '18.
Each knife rest is a panel 3¼" wide and 1" high supported by triangles on the edges, whose other two sides are ¾" and 11/16". A sale on the internet was helpful for identifying this set as coming from Prudhomme. The small square towards the left edge in the top frame presents Prudhomme's mark, S and P around a caduceus. It took a high-resolution scan to produce the picture below of that mark. The twelve fables presented include expected standards like TMCM, CJ, GA, FS, WL, 2P, "The Hares and the Frogs," and "The Heron." There is also Florian's "The Monkey and the Magic Lantern. Three others are harder, at least for me, to identify. Is one "The Fox and the Cat"? What is the small object in their image? In another, two fowl seem to be arguing over a snail. In a final knife-rest there are three birds: might they be the mother lark and her young?
Benjamin Rabier Knife Rests
1920?Ten knife rests or porte couteaux, about 3½" inches long, representing Benjamin Rabier's presentations of La Fontaine's fables. Extras of FC and "Two Mice and an Egg." Silvermaker: Devouge Dupont. $350 for ten from paintingmorningstar through eBay, Nov., '05. Two for $89.95 from Nina Lindzon, through Ebay, Oct., '01.
I first saw these—and was delighted with them--in the Clingnancourt flea market several years ago. I believe that the full set includes twelve. Each knife rest has been individually cast and is stamped with the signature, "Benjamin Rabier" and with the mark of the silvermaker in the form of a rectangle with the initials "P + a Spoon + D". The knife rests catch both something of the Art Deco era and of Rabier's continuous wit. In TH, the connection of the fencepost to the ground at the bottom of the hare's back paws is loose.
More Elaborate Stephane Prudhomme Knife Rests?
1920? Two simple knife rests or porte couteaux, about 3⅜" inches long, made from folding over a plate of metal to form a triangular tent. On one panel of each is a fable scene: 2P or TH. Unknown source.
The designs on these two are really quite intricate and include a good background: the houses, trees, and fences along the road of the race in TH and the vegetation along the trail for the iron and clay pots. I wish there were some markings to identify the maker of these lovely knife rests!
1920? Three more kniferests in the same style: "Heron," FG, and FC. Stephane Prudhomme? €60 from Eric Lussot, Le Rheu, France, through Ebay, Sept., '20.
I worked hard to track the silvermarks on these three very nice kniferests. On the web they are declared to be by Stephane Prudhomme by at least one seller. Elsewhere they are grouped with the two already on this page. I tried hard to photograph the silversmith's "mark" but can only get a blurred representation. The scenes on the two above and on the three here are much more developed than those on the Prudhomme set of twelve listed nearby on this website.
Ceramic Knife Rests
1980? Ceramic knife-holders as books. GA and LM. Green with gold highlights. 3" x 1". €18 from mathilde9662, Jan, '22. Two duplicates and four other members of the series -- LM, WL, TH, and FC -- found earlier from an unknown source.
There is an extra of LM and an unhighlighted extra of GA. The highlights accent parts of the picture and the capital letters in the title. I have searched the web for further members of this set, with no luck yet. Might these be less good than knife-rests with a level center?
Fox and Hare
1990? Two knife-holders presenting a fox and a hare. 3½" x 1½" (hare) and 4" x 1". Unknown source.
The elongated bodies fit with their role as knife-rests. Is there a fable of a fox and a hare? Yes, says Northcote, who presents this story: " A little timorous Rabbit, who had a safe retreat in his burrow underground, had often perceived an artful Fox lurking near the spot, as if watching for the first opportunity to seize and devour him. However, he lay secure for the present, as the Fox could not enter the small burrow. One day, soon after, the devoted Rabbit saw the Fox in deep confabulation, and seemingly in great amity with the Weasel. This, he conjectured, boded no good to himself, as he found but too soon to be the case; for presently after the Weasel entered his burrow, and attacked him with such fury and fierceness, that he had no other chance of saving his life but by flight. But no sooner bad he darted from his burrow, than he immediately found himself seized on by the Fox; who, together with the Weasel, began to tear him in pieces, when thus the unfortunate victim of their arts, in his dying agonies, uttered his complaint: “I foresaw that my doom was determined on when you two counseled together.” I presume that I acquired these as fable knife-rests. I have not been able to identify a larger set to which they might belong.
Mugs
1982? "Mr. Fables Family Restaurants" travel mug. Grand Rapids, MI. Whirley Industries. Suitable for dashboard use. $16 from anythingeverythingandmo through Ebay, Oct., '22.
There is a sticky adhesive patch on the separate red bottom-piece to hold it onto the dashboard of a car or truck, and then one can slide the mug into this holder. The seller emphasizes that "This is an extremely collectible Mr Fables travel mug, and probably quite rare in its unused condition." See also the sets of gift certificates from Mr. Fables restaurants.
2010? "The Over-Fed Fox" coffee mug. Featuring Gallaher Cigarette Card #24. $18.97 from EclecticRetroBazaar on Etsy, Jan., '23.
I am encouraged. I recognized the image immediately and thought it might be from the Gallaher horizontal set. Here it is! My curious mind wonders what brings an artist to select a particular image or fable from the great array that is out there.
Placemats
2002? Aesop Fable Placemats. 10” x 13”. Based on prints by Linda Powell. $5.95 from Lisa Baldwin on Ebay, April, '03.
I knew one of the six images used here from a card I was given in 1985, viewable under greeting cards. Now I have been able to recognize that Linda Powell was the creator of this set of designs, as seen in her prints. This set of six placements seems to include three fables: TH, FG, and GGE. The images are richly and brightly colored.
Pitchers
1979 Hoffman pitcher depicting GGE. 3½" diameter base, 5½" diameter at its broadest, 4½" diameter at its top. 6" in height. $18 from Linda Crisafulli, Long Beach, CA, through Ebay, June, '01.
The scene depicted here is exactly the same as that which one finds on the whiskey decanter done by Hoffman at about the same time. The text of the fable is on the opposite side of the pitcher.
1980? Noritake figural pitcher ornamented with fox and grapes. 7½" high at the top of the handle and about 6" wide at the widest portion of the base. $9.99 from Victoria Green, Bloomfield, Hills, MI, through eBay, Oct., '08.
"Made expressly for Noritake in China." Strong maroon, green, and brown colors against a white background. The fox lies around the front of the pitcher's base, while the grapes hang down from the point at which the handle connects with the top of the pitcher. The seller aptly describes the pitcher as a holiday pitcher, especially because of the festive ribbon around the pitcher's neck. The fox is skillfully added to the front of the pitcher. I presume the pitcher is meant for pouring wine: the guests get some, but the fox, quite alert, is still thirsty!
1985? Fox and stork Aesop's fables jug. NY: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Glazed earthenware. Hand-painted. About 6" long, 4" wide, and 4½" high. $35 from dmed7 on Ebay, July, '21.
I am so happy to see an artist and a museum using FS for a household item -- and using it so successfully! The snout of the fox as spout and the neck of the stork as handle are both ingenious! The accompanying paperwork describes this "jug" as based on a sauceboat about 1770-80 in England.
Salt & Pepper Shakers
After the many things I have found, I guess it should not surprise me that there are salt and pepper shakers based on fables. So far I have found just three sets. I just know that there are others out there somewhere...
1950? "The Fox and the Grapes" salt and pepper shaker set. Apparently made in the U.S.A. Either figure is 3" tall. $24.99 from Beth Warriner, Cocoa, FL, through Ebay, August, '99.
I never thought I would see salt and pepper shakers of this fable! Painted grapes cling to the two forks of a sturdy vine, while the fox seems to hug himself and certainly licks his chops. It is of course unfortunate that the fox here is actually higher than the grapes he seeks! The cork under each shaker is missing. I think I can make out a pencilled price on the bottom of each piece: $1.25 for the pair! One person's trash is another person's treasure!
1960? Goose and Golden Egg salt and pepper shaker set. Made in Japan. The goose is almost 1½" x 2¾" x almost 2¾" high with three holes at the base of her neck. The egg is almost 1 1/8" high and wide and 1½" long with three holes on the rounded side. $5.50 from Guy Berard, Canton, NY, through Ebay, Feb., '01.
Gold luster glaze on the egg. This is a very large egg for this goose to have produced!
1970? Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. Made by New England Ceramics. Tortoise stands 1.5" off the ground, while the standing hare reaches 4". $24 from Cathy Rosenwald, Holland, PA, through Ebay, Feb., '00. Click on the image to see it in larger format.
Cathy writes that this set has been featured in Carey and Tompkins 1003 Shakers and Helene Guarnaccia's Book 3. The original stoppers are still in tact. Although this tortoise seems rather standard, the hare is holding his head in his hand and may be sleeping standing up! The few black markings and the purple ear tips on the hare make for a dramatic figure.
1977 Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. ©FF 1977. Handpainted. The tortoise is 2¾" high with three holes near the top of his back. The hare is 3¼" high with two holes on top of his head. $7.99 from Linn Bruns, Rollingbay, WA, through Ebay, Oct., '00.
There is a clear accent here on cuteness. The front of the feet of both figures are turned up to suggest movement. Click on the image to see it enlarged.
1980? Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. Hare 2½" tall with three holes in the top of his head. Tortoise almost 3" tall with two holes at the top of his back. $15.50 from Sandy Hyatt, Coffeyville, KS, through Ebay, Sept., '00.
The two figures have no identifying marks or labels. Neither has a stopper. The color finish of the standing tortoise is particularly rich. This hare neither sleeps nor moves.
1990? Tortoise and Hare salt and pepper shaker set. Apparently made in China by Albert Price Products. $10.51 from Karen Weaver, Canfield, Ohio, through Ebay, April, '99. Extra set for $1.75 from Beverly and John Ledford through Ebay, Sept., '00.
I am delighted to have found these! My MLS fable class immediately declared them cute, and they are right. The grape-colored rabbit, running with one leg upraised, stands 2.5" tall with three holes. He looks back to see if the turtle is catching up with him. The green-and-brown turtle stands 1.5" tall with two holes. Both original corks are present and intact. The coloring is simple, and the two poses are perfect. I suppose the turtle is moving, but you would not know it!
Serving Trays
1984 Arthur Court Aesop's Fables tray featuring FWT. Heavy aluminum serving tray measuring approximately 24¼" x 15⅝ at the widest points.
The verso actually reads "Aesops fables by Arthur Court copyrighted 1984." The tray depicts foxes with a tailless fox at the center. There is a grape and leaf border design. A curiosity of this tray is that its obverse underneath the tray depicts the scene as exactly as the top of the tray does. The same tray seems to be selling on eBay these days for several hundred dollars. Click on either picture to see an enlarged picture.
Whiskey Decanters
1978 Six whiskey decanters (out of a series of six) from the Hoffman Distilling Company of Lawrenceburg, KE. The photo at the left shows the packaging, a sample decanter, and the certificate that comes with each decanter. Each decanter has a scene portrayed in deep relief on its front. To see each of these, and a detail of its scene, click on either the icon (left) or text (right) in the "Individual Decanters" list below. For features common to all six, look at the illustrations just below, under "Standard details." On the back (upper left) is a text together with a picture of Aesop teaching a group of animals (lower left). Aesop also sits in three dimensions with a shepherd's crook in his hand as the cork on top of the bottle (upper right). Beware! The corks love to split in half, especially leaving half inside the opening! Each decanter also contains a music-box. So far I can decipher the tune from only one of the decanters. Each is signed "Fred Lammert 1977" (lower right). Each decanter contained 4/5 of a quart. The decanters were made in Japan. Standard details of all decanters:
Individual decanters:
Decanter AL
The lion is kissing or licking Androcles, whose one eye squints as he removes the thorn from the crying lion's paw. The decanter plays the tune "What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love." See a detail of the scene below.
Decanter BW
The shepherd boy calls back left while the wolf appears with open mouth over him on the right.
Decanter DS
The rendering of two things is excellent in this decanter. First, the dog's left ear is arched up as he looks down intot he water with the bone in his mouth. Secondly, the flat reflection in the water below is well done.
Decanter FG
The fox's tongue hangs out to the right as he shows an angry and disgruntled look.
Decanter GGE
The man seems to be whistling as he hides the hatchet behind his back and eyes the goose, who stands over two golden eggs.
Decanter TH
The bunny sleeps next to a tree stump while the tortoise passes by. In the background a fox holds a flag ready to signal the winner.