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“. $41.53 from Soviet Antiques through Ebay, August, '20. One earlier copy from an unknown source?
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. $4.99 from Linda Seminatore, Hudson, NH, through Ebay, Oct., '01. Extra exemplar for $5.99 from fishc74 through Ebay, Sept., 21.
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.
2023? Plush "Wolf in Sheepskin" figure. Total length 12". Polyester fibers. Made in China. $15 from Judaicaman: Joshua Jacobovitz, Shilo, Israel, Jan., '25.
Joshua tells me that this figure is available in many sizes. It does a good job of combining wolf and sheepskin, especially in the "hood" portion of the sheepskin, separated from the wolf's head but attached to the sheepskin body.
1970? Playskool TH puzzle. Wood. 12-piece. 290-01. Made in U.S.A. $4.25 from James Richter, New Paltz, NY, through Ebay, July, '00.
I remember this sort of puzzle fondly from my childhood. A heavy back supports the cut-out outline of the upper level of the puzzle. The large pieces fit right in. This simple puzzle pictures a very happy tortoise! For fun, I offer views of the puzzle both inside its borders and alone. Click on either to see a large contrast of the two.
1948 Playola Record Album "Famous Fables." Three records presenting LM; SW; TH, and BW. album No. 105.
The album's four interior pages present each a rhyming quatrain for one of the fables. "'Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!' I cried. The villagers hastened to my side. But they were angry, everyone, When they found out I'd called for fun." Good condition. I am cataloguing these records, if my research guesses are accurate, nine years after we acquired them.
2020 Playmobil Set 70621: "Aesop's Fables." 30 pieces, including a story booklet. Greek texts. $37.50 from happy*sheriff through Ebay, July, '21.
This is a cute and clever set of figures for presenting seven of Aesop's fables. The booklet and package texts are all in Greek. Not for purchase in the USA. The animals' heads can be raised and lowered. Human heads can be turned, and arms move up and down. I had thought that the grown man figure was Aesop; he may be, but he is also the human adult in SS and MSA.
1927 Fables of Aesop. From engravings by W. Hollar, etc., MDCLXV. Series of XXV. About 3" x 2½". Player's Cigarettes. Issued by John Player & Sons, Branch of the Imperial Tobacco Company (of Great Britain and Ireland), Limited. $76 at Murray Cards International, Cecil Court, London, July, '92.
Excellent reproductions in good condition. All but two ("The Covetous Man and the Goose" [#6] and DM [#23]) match my reprint of the 1668 Ogilby The Fables of Aesop Paraphras'd in Verse. Unusually squat size for cigarette cards. My favorites in this group include "The Dog and the Thief" (X), "The Husbandman and the Serpent" (XVII), and the classic LM (XX).
