1870? Two Pellerin broadsides presenting multiple stories. #924 and #925. €3.25 each from "antikobjet 84200" through Ebay, Dec., '23.
I have created a third "epoch" of Pellerin broadsides because the numbering system for these two does not fit with either of the numbering systems I have already found at work and put under "1850?" and "1890?" Both are on very light paper, and one deals with three stories and the other with two. Each uses three colors: red, blue, and yellow. There is surely fascinating history behind these strong presentations of La Fontaine's fables!
Two partial prints by Emile Joseph Alexandre Gouget. €2 apiece at a flea market in Strasbourg in July, '19.
The Forest and the Woodcutter
The Farmer, the Dog & the Fox
These two present only the illustrations. They do not add text or designs at all.
2012 Two original art works by Zsofia Szeleczky. 7.5" square. .5" thick. Budapest: Hungary. Unknown source.
FC emphasizes the fox by giving him a color of his own. The only other color not black or white is the cheese. Szeleczky again has fun with the scene by adding leaves, sprouts, musical notes, and three pairs of (young fox?) eyes in the left tree.
FS has a number of engaging features. Note the swirling black and white in both trees and both tree stumps. Do not miss the elongated legs of the stork, the little fish inside the bases, the owl in the tree, or the steam arising from the frustrated fox. His angry stare is expressive! Well done, Zsofia!
1950? Two More Disney TH Rugs. Unknown source.
These rugs with fringe on their sides clearly belong to the same series as those above. One featuring the main two characterrs reverses the direction of its twin above. The other presents an unlikely scene of the tortoise and one of Miss Cottontail’s female students running in the same direction. Both are 11.25” high. Their widths are 24” (the mirror view twin) and 18”. Might these have been movie prizes or lottery gifts for viewing the cartoon?
1890? 1 two-piece brass button, 1 1/16" in diameter, picturing two monks. Steel back, wire shank. $10 from Onie Wiedeman, Minot, ND, May, '99.
Might this be someone's conception of the story of the two monks from Bidpai? In any case, there is a large stein or pitcher to the right of the right monk, who clearly holds a drinking vessel. As I study this button more closely, I am not convinced that the two men must be monks. If I keep this button in the collection, I will at least know where to find it when I learn that it really is a fable button!
1900? Two matching tapestries of fables of La Fontaine. 8” x 8’. Unknown source.
Each of these long, slender, exquisite tapestries contains six fable scenes. The style is similar to that on our wider tapestry, but strangely none of the twelve scenes presented here are the same as the seven there. Two of the images here are unclear to me. I would love to have help in deciphering them! The first image here shows them as they stood at the entrance to an on-campus exhibit of the fable collection, "Thundering Tortoises and Horrified Hares," in January, '18.
1940? Two matching decks of TH playing cards. The design shows white characters against a green and a black background, respectively. Self sorting club playing cards. "Deck Copr. 1932." In the sturdy original 3 7/8" x 5" box. NY: Bid-Rite Playing Card Corp. $12.99 from Louie and Annette Fotinatos, Norwalk, CA, through Ebay, March, '01.
The card that comes along with the deck proclaims "Self-Sorting Cards—First Change in over Three hundred years." Wow! I received these cards with the original cellophane still around each deck. Each deck also still has its original inspection notice. In the design the tortoise on a scooter moves to the bottom left corner of the card, while a hare (in mid-air?) bounds after him.
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.
1950? Two Italian TH fable Rugs. 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.
1970? Two individual playing cards showing FG on the backs. One image is entirely in black and red; the other is in black and blue with a red stripe around the outside. $8 from Dany Wolfs, Roesalare, Belgium, August, '00.
Actually the FG image in the blue card is reduced to include the red stripe inside the white margin, which occupies the same space as on the red card. The only identifying mark is "Grapes" on the 4 of spades on the red card. The blue card is the 2 of clubs. If I keep this up, will I be able to put together a whole deck of individual cards with different fable images?
2006 Two identical mugs, boxed in "Spode Blue Room" boxes with applied seals "Archive Aesop's Fables Mug, 0.5L, 16oz." Information on the bottom of the mug says "First introduced c. 1830." "Dishwasher, Freezer, Microwave Safe."
The design on this cup features, in blue, a simple scene of a lion (?) and a fox apparently simply looking at each other. My best guess is that the scene depicted is that of the fox that first approached the lion and ran away with fear. A second time he came closer. The third time he came right up and addressed him.
1935 Two identical handbills featuring AD and “Les Deux Voyageurs.” Three colored panels with the two fable texts. “Le Printemps est l’ami des enfants.” No. 116bis. Liege: Éditions Gordinne. Printed by George Lang. About 10½” x 8”. $5 from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne-Ricouart, France, Sept., '20.
On the first two illustrations the colors do not quite match the lines. Is it unusual to have a fable from La Fontaine paired with one from Florian? I presume that the “Printemps” in question here is the department store. On the web, I find posters advertising their delivery service but I find no handbills.
1959 Two French View-Master Reels with Envelope. Photos en Relief. B 3091-3092. Unknown source.
Here is yet a third language represented under View-Master. The lead fables on these two reels are GA and TMCM. Also included is a booklet of French texts of the fables on the three reels of the set.
1890? 2 FS buttons, 1.25" in diameter, with black celluloid background. Unknown source.
These two were found among uncatalogued materials in 2025 and seem to match other buttons in design but not in size. It is not clear that they were originally purchased together.
1955 Two FDC envelopes celebrating the 12 Franc stamp from 1955 featuring a portrait of Florian. Both have a postmark "Premier Jour Sauve - Florian - 2 Avril 1955." One envelope features a duochrome bust of Florian. The other presents a full-color collection of scenes from his fables. $4 each from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through eBay, Oct. 11, 05.
I had not been aware of this Florian stamp. He was born in Sauve in Gard in 1755. Poor Florian. Even this celebration of him includes, in the prose under his portrait: "Author of lovely pastorals and especially of numerous fables, which rank him as the follower, even if from a great distance, of our own good La Fontaine" (italics mine). Perhaps the easiest scene to recognize on the fable composite has the monkey lecturing with a magic lanterne. The stamp itself classifies him as "Fabuliste Romancier Autour Dramatique." Click on either stamp to see an enlarged version of it.
1950? Two decks of playing cards showing FG and CP, respectively, on their backs. The fox is as above in the three-deck Canasta set. For CP, against a tan background, a black crow stands over a white pitcher. A banner in white and blue-gray proclaims the title underneath the scene. In the sturdy original 3¾" 5" slipcase. Cel-U-Tone Finish. Congress Playing Cards. $6 from Harry Glogower, New York, NY, through Ebay, June, '00.
The style and artistry of the two cards make them a nice complement to each other. I am especially pleased that someone had sense enough to put two fables together in one set.
1925? Two cream-colored small plates 5" in diameter with 2½" green-and-blue stencilled figures of FS and FC at the center. Around the central picture runs a yellow band. Most likely made by Montereau or Choisy-le-Roi. The theme of this tea-service set for children or "service de poupée" was, no doubt, the fables of La Fontaine. $20.50 from Mary Ellen Kennedy, Larchmont, NY through Ebay, Nov., '99.
I was and am sure that there must be a number of such sets around France, and so I was delighted to find these two little dishes on Ebay. Their paint-work is very attractive. Particularly well done is the stance of the fox with one paw on the vase he cannot penetrate for its food, while the stork does so easily. The two-color approach, which works effectively here, means that the cheese in the crow's mouth is green! Both plates seem to have a registry mark of "Z" inprinted in their backs, and FC adds a "P."
1980? Two Choco Rem blotters using GA and FC, respectively. GA has brown ink on a beige blotter, while FC has red ink on a yellow blotter. Each piece effectively uses two white areas. 5¼" x 8". Reims: Choco Rem. Paris: Elvinger. $5 each from Mme Denise Debuigne, Rennes, France, Feb., '02 and May, '02.
In GA, the cicada is asking for the ant's Choco REM in order to survive. In FC, the verse parodies the finish of La Fontaine's fable: "He swore--but a little late--that no one would ever again take … his Choco." The fox carries away the chocolate rather than the usual cheese or meat dropped by the proud crow. Both blotters announce that in each package there is a photo of a French soccer champion, which one can keep in the magnificent REM album.
In about 2016, I was surprised to find two Chinese teapots on Ebay. Except for their material and wear, they are identical, though the markings on either base are worn or unclear. These two appeared in our on-campus show, "Thundering Tortoises and Horrified Hares: Aesop in Popular Culture," in early 2018. Our guess is that the silvery (aluminum alloy?) copy is the original and that the copper is the replica. Both include, on one side, a cartoon of the race between the tortoise and the hare.
1850? Aluminum-alloy (?) Chinese Teapot and Lid Featuring TH. 4.25" long, 2.5" high.
The whole teapot is tortoise-like, the handle is a hare, and the lid's handle is a full-tortoise. The maker's mark on the base and the cartoon of the race on the side have both become less distinct.
2000? Copper-alloy (?) Chinese Teapot and Lid Featuring TH. 4.25" long, 2.5" high.
The whole teapot is tortoise-like, the handle is a hare, and the lid's handle is a full-tortoise. The maker's mark on the base and the cartoon of the race on the side have both easy to read. An identical object is on sale on Ebay as I write this comment in April, 2025.
1926 Two blotters almost 4" x 9" for the months of September and October, 1926. The blotters advertise "Remembrance Advertising--Engraved Christmas Greeting Cards for Business Houses--Genuine Mission Calf-Skin Leather Desk and Pocket Pieces." Apparently the maker of this series is C.W. Bloom of Brown & Bigelow on Milk Street in Boston. $18 from Carolyn Dias of Norfolk, VA, through eBay, Feb., '03. Extra copy of Sept., '1926, for $9 from Carolyn Dias of Norfolk, VA, through eBay, June, '08.
Each long landscape-formatted blotter has a fable on the left. September has LM with "A kindness is never wasted--Aesop" and October has "Deeds count--not boasting words--Aesop." The latter has a rooster crowing and a hare sawing. For texts to match some of the questionable "fables" here, like "The Hare and the Rooster," see Aesop's Fables with Compliments of Chelmsford Ginger Ale, listed under "1926?" and apparently produced by the same printer.
