2002? Prints of LM and TH by Adam Rhine. $15 each from Adam Rhine, March, '03.
LM has the mouse holding a large chainsaw labeled “Rat-N-Decker”. The vibrant colors make for a very appealing fable illustration -- and a humorous glance back at the fable's rope-chopping element.
TH shows the hare resting by a tree and reading a newspaper with the headline “Hare Favored to Win Race”. He is alerted by the sound of tortoise whizzing by on a motorcycle. This drawing humorously reflects the moral behind the original Aesop fable. Is there in fact something of the tortoise's shell in the image of a hard riding motorcyclist?
2000? Page from “The Book of Fables. XIVth Century. Animal Scenes” from “Turkey 1621.” Paris: UNESCO World Art Series. New York Graphic Society. Printed in Italy. 13.1” x 18.6”. Unknown source.
The two images are familiar: the lion king speak with a jackal and the lion king converses with his mother. The images seem so peaceful. There is bloodthirsty work going on in them!
1940? Printer’s Block of George Ade’s “The Fable of The Good People Who Rallied to the Support of the Church.” Mounted on wood, with a hook for hanging. 9.7” x 2.7”. Unknown source.
What fun! Our collection has a number of individual George Ade “Fables in Slang” cut out of newspapers – unfortunately not featuring this one. We have a number of his books. For those who do not want to read either forwards or in mirror-fashion, I lay out the text here. By the way, I was surprised how easy the printer’s block was to read when I flipped it in my computer!
2023? Print of WC by MarkesArt. 16" x 12". $18.88 through Redbubble, Dec., '24.
The artist describes this as the climactic moment of the fable. I would say that it is the dramatic moment. I believe that the climactic moment is when the crane is not looking into the wolf's throat but rather when he is waiting for his reward and gets the wolf's snarl instead. Good, dramatic black-and-white artistry suitable for use in a lecture.
1920? Print of “La Cigale” by E(mile) Metzmacher, painted in 1886. With slipsheet offering “La Cigale” by Marton. $30 from pdiddyt through Ebay, Jan., ’26.
This piece touches on some unusual history. I had acquitted two prints of Metzmacher’s “The Grasshopper and the Ant,” in black and white. Researching the original, I was surprised to learn that Metzmacher has done a colored oil painting rather similar but featuring only one person instead of two. I was happy to purchase a copy. We have that copy, and it quotes a poem “Cigale,” which is a poem about returning home after a tragic betrayal. As far as I can tell, this grasshopper has nothing to do with a fable. I did my own lamenting, but checked again, and several responsible sources on the web immediately relate this painting to La Fontaine’s fable. Maybe I can add to the next researcher’s surprise and discovery!
1957 Print Facsimile of Marc Chagall's Etching "Wolf and Fox Before Monkey Judge." Printed in West Germany in 1957 based on Chagall's 1952 etching. Mounted in acid free black board. Overall size 12" x 15". $149 from TxArtGallery through Ebay.
This is a nice representation of Chagall's work, well framed and matted. We will need to compare someday to the original. The Ebay seller describes it as "facsimile ink signed." I wonder what that means.
1994 Press Photo of Texas Mime Theatre Members in Production of "Aesop's Fables," July 22, 194, at Heinen Theater. Houston Chronicle, July 22, 1994. Photo by Alvin Gee. $10 from Historic Images, Nov., '16.
This show had already run two days, apparently. One cannot tell much about the fable presentation from these costumes!
1890? 7 French cards of La Fontaine fables from Chocolat Poulain Orange. 2½" x slightly more than 4". Imp. A. Norgeu, Paris. $28 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, March, '01.
These small portrait-formatted cards command "Exigez Chocolat Poulain Orange" at the top in brown against a green background and then comment "C'est le meilleur." Just beneath is a circular illustration in full color. Beneath that is a brown-on-green design and sometimes a (long) fable title. Two elements finish the downward movement of the card: from six to fifteen lines of the fable and, in the bottom right, a card number. Four of the seven cards present "L'Homme qui court après la Fortune et l'Homme qui l'attend dans son Lit." They are numbered 1, 4, 5, and 6. Two others present "Le Savetier et le Financier" and are numbered 3 and 6. The final card presents TMCM and is numbered 1. I presume that there were six in each set. How many sets might have existed? The two illustrations on one card allow for some good effects, as when TMCM #1 shows in the larger colored circle a pair of humans--city and country dwellers, to judge from their clothing--but presents the mice in the lower design. Again, the first view of the differing friends shows them together inside a building, while the design shows a stagecoach ready to leave. The backs of the cards are uniform in picturing a can of Cacao Poulain and praising its contents. These cards are identical in design with those in a set I list under Norgeu; the latter cards lack mention of Poulain
1935? Two dust-jackets provided by La Poudre St. Eloi against wheat-decay. "The Little Fish and the Angler" and MM, both designed by J.T. Péras. The back cover of each dust-jacket offers a map of districts of France. The former has a claim that Colorado Beetle is radically destroyed by Doryx St. Eloi. "The Little Fish and the Angler" for $5 from Mme Denise Debuigne, Rennes, France, Feb., '05. MM for $6 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, Sept., '20.
The flaps on the inside of the dust-jacket offer tables of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Both fable illustrations are done with red and green coloring, and offer a rich background to their foreground focus.
1890? Four cards displaying La Fontaine fables for Poudre Cap mineral water. Slightly more than 6¼ " x slightly less than 4½ ". $30 for the four from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, March, '01.
"L'Huitre et les Plaideurs, " Le Laboureur et ses Enfants, "; MM, and WL. These are large cards! The approach to each scene comes from traditional sources, like Dor é for the oyster scene on the beach and the river scene between wolf and lamb. Notice that the wolf's neck here is so elongated that he may look more like a horse! The scene of the old worker on his deathbed is strongly reminiscent of the classic painting of Socrates in his last hours. The milkmaid seems quite nattily dressed up to be carrying some milk to town! I am not sure that I have ever seen the two oyster-finders clad as monks before. Click on any of the four pictures to see it full-size.
1960? "Le Lion et le Rat." Advertising postcard sponsored by Poudre "Le Dain," rat poison, and sent by Au Père Cafard in Paris. Artist is something like "Derattt." Gift of Susan Carlson, Dec., '23.
Here is a simple, pleasing image. One might ask: "To whom does a business send out a lovely fable postcard concerning rat poison?" I know that the answer of some will be "Customers!"
2021 Postal souvenir of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean de La Fontaine, consisting of a gummed scene including two stamps. Those stamps are perforated sections to be removed from the surrounding image. £8.99 from The Joy of Stamps through Ebay, Nov., '21.
The two stamps picture La Fontaine's home in Chateau-Thierry and a lovely rendition of the frog about to explode before the ox. These are uncancelled stamps ready for the mail.
2021 Postal souvenir of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Jean de La Fontaine, together with a smaller gummed scene including two stamps featured on the postal souvenir page. Those stamps are perforated sections to be removed from the surrounding image. $25.35 from empirefondation1965 through Ebay, July, '21.
The two stamps picture La Fontaine's home in Chateau-Thierry and a lovely rendition of the frog about to explode before the ox. There is a first day cancellation covering both stamps. Unfortunately the two items are presently pasted to each other. The larger card features BC and a biographical account of La Fontaine.
1800? Portrait of La Fontaine. Blanchard sculp.
I found this torn-out frontispiece of a small (5" x 3.25") book in a book recently purchased. While it follows the standard presentation of La Fontaine in such frontispieces, here his nose seems large and the picture's impression is unusual. The oval portrait is surrounded by geometric forms filled with printer's lines.
1800? Portrait of La Fontaine. Blanchard sculp.
I found this torn-out frontispiece of a small (5" x 3.25") book in a book recently purchased. While it follows the standard presentation of La Fontaine in such frontispieces, here his nose seems large and the picture's impression is unusual. The oval portrait is surrounded by geometric forms filled with printer's lines.
2010? Photographic postcard. Mons. Musée du Centenaire. Porcelaine de Bruxelles, fin XVIIIe s. décor aux "Fables de La Fontaine" de L. Cretté. "18. Amis des musées." Edit. Thill. S.A., Bruxelles. From Gabriel Somogyi, Floresti, Romania.
One views here a lovely pitcher and teapot. Unfortunately, the revealing image on the pitcher is half turned awayi. One dog looks off to the left, but that could pertain to several fables. On the teapot, an insect like a ladybug is front and center.
1960? Porcelain sculpture of Krylov's "The Cook and the Cat." 8½” x 2⅛“.
The cook starts to prepare dinner but steps away from the kitchen for a moment. He returns to find the cat feasting on the entree in the middle of the floor. As the cat feasts on, the cook delivers a lecture on how bad a cat this is! Original box.
1980? Porcelain DABS figurine of a young girl reading Aesop's Fables to a dog and a bird. 4½" x 1¾" x 6¼" high. Napco C2075.
Is this an imitation Hummel figurine? There is no apostrophe in "Aesops" here, as is sometimes the case with real books. A fence connects the girl and the animals. The tail of the bird is broken off. The animals seem to sit still for the stories.
1995? Limoges-style porcelain hinged trinket box. A tortoise and a hare perch on top. 2½" x 1¾" x 2¼" high. Made in China.
The tortoise has his head up as a sign of alertness and effort. In the meantime the hare sleeps, with his head, paws and ears on the ground. Inside there is a little trophy for the winner.
Click on the image to see it enlarged.
1950? Sirop Melangé Pomona syrup can featuring FS. Dutch (?) poetry and side panels of fox and stork. $15 from sunbeamavenger62 through Ebay, Feb., '23.
Here is an older syrup can, so old that it can be hard to read text or image. This is another item whose shipping cost more than the item. The dress and accessories of both characters are lively!
1950? Pomona syrup can featuring MM. Dutch poetry and side panels of cow, pig, and pitcher. $50 from tincollectors@gmail.com, Jan., '20.
Here is another lovely presentation of MM. The pitcher broke. The chicken, pig, and cow on the left remind us of her dreams. The poetry on the long side reads "Dance of Joy, There spills the milk. Calf and Cow, Pork and brood are gone." Click on the image to see the long and short sides as well as the top in fuller presentation.
