1990? French aluminum trivet portraying FC. 8" in diameter.
Now, who would ever have thought that a fable would present the motif for a trivet?! I was surprised to see this "Dessous de plat alu" up for auction on Ebay, and very pleasantly surprised when I won it! There is even some nice detailing on the tree.
1995 Six fables en timbres: Timbres émis pour le tricentennaire de la mort de Jean de La Fontaine. La Poste. Claudine and Roland Sabatier. Paperbound. Paris: La Poste. $8.50 from John Plouffé, The Stamp Doctor, San Juan Capistrano, CA, through eBay, Dec., '06. Extra copy for $3 from Topical Paradise, April, 20.
Since this is a book that presents stamps, I am listing it in both places, but will place it among the books. This sixteen-page pamphlet seems to have been issued at the same time as the stamps commemorating the three hundredth anniversary of Jean de la Fontaine's death. Each of six pages contains a clever little transparent holder holding the appropriate stamp for one of six fables. On the same page as the stamp is La Fontaine's text. Facing the page is a full-page reproduction of the stamp itself. I scanned these pages for future use. Before these six pairs of pages presenting stamps and fables, there are three introductory pages. The first has a preface, surrounding which is the only original piece of art in the booklet, a three-sided frame presenting faces of the characters found on the stamps. The verso presents the first of two non-stamp "vignettes" issued with the stamps, namely a portrait of La Fontaine. One lovely feature of this portrait is that his neck-kerchief opens out to become the curtain of a small theater, with the town and country mice playing upon the stage. This page gives the basic dates and events of La Fontaine's life. Facing it is a "Sommaire" or T of C, accompanied by the second vignette, a list of the six fables presented on the stamps: GA, OF, WL, FC, "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin," and TH. The second-to-last fable has a longer text; its stamp-illustration is thus reduced to less than full-page size to accommodate the extra text. Illustrations and more on other materials issued along with the stamps can be found under "Stamps and Mail" here. The number of publications surrounding the issue of this stamp series is astounding!
2003 Tree and well platter featuring "The Horse and the Ass." 21". #472 of 1500. "The Signature Collection: "Aesop's Fables." Pattern introduced 1831. $88.99 from Elaine Esquivel through Ebay, Nov, '18.
One of the main values of our having this large and impressive piece is that we can show it rather than the original we have from 1831!
2012 Trapped in Aesop's Fables. A fully dramatized Audio Book. Lifehouse theater On-the-Air. Executive Producer Wayne Scott. InspiredInspirations Media. Unknown source.
Twelve-year-old Henry, freshly chastised by his father as he brings home an old chest, finds the chest opening and beckoning to him. The chest offers books with a quest. Of course Henry opens one of the mysterious books and meets Aesop in a time warp. Aesop challenges him to figure out the life lessons from five stories, and then he can escape. Soon Henry has six legs and learns that he is a grasshopper and has to transition from easy summer to hungry winter. Henry is dying and finds no life lesson to learn. He fails his first test, and Aesop has to explain it to him. I left Henry as a hare in the second story running like crazy.
1835 Transferware Plate "The Fox and the Grapes." 6¼" diameter. "Aesop's Fables." Copeland and Garrett. $50 from Alphabetiques, Montague, MA, through Ebay, Sept., '19
The artistry of the green illustration occupying the center of this small plate expresses the fable well. The fox is walking away but he is still looking back at the grapes. He has given up on them and, though he is bad-mouthing them, he would still want to have them. The verso includes "Copeland and Garrett Late Spode."
2018 Flattop Aesop card. Garbage Pail Kids. #6a of 19. Topps Company. $1.25 from GamesandCards, Los Angeles, through Ebay, July, ’21. Extra copy for $1.99 from CSC on Amazon, July, '21.
Apparently this card comes from a series titled “We Hate the ‘80s.” Others will understand better than I if this character has anything to do with the character we know as Aesop. From what I know of “Garbage Pail Kids,” the scene depicted here fits! Even though our collection now boasts of 22 different kinds of cards, I could not find a category into which this card fit!
1991? Portrait-formatted colored painting get-well card. The front shows a mouse in a robe, with slippers on its feet and a steaming pot of tea at its side. "Country mouse…or city…" reads the outside caption, to be finished inside with "Happy Healing!" Ambassador: Hallmark 135ZF 323R. Gift of Vera Ruotolo, July, '92.
I would never have thought that Aesopic fables would appear in the world of get-well-cards, but here one is!
2000? Tote bag from the Herzog August Bibliothek in Wolfenbüttel.
The reproduction on this tote bag features the same image used on the cover of the library's publication Fabula Docet, namely the illustration for "The Wolves, Shepherds, and Dogs" in Ulrich Boner's Der Edelstein (1461). Click on the image to see an enlargement.
1979 Tortoise Running Relay Race. Schmid 0215. Pewter. Made in USA. Unknown source.
What an energetic turtle! I searched a long time on the web to find a companion figure of a hare. Perhaps this is none. After all, this turtle is running a relay race!
2000? Tortoise Hand Puppet. Folkmanis, Inc., Emeryville, CA. Gift of Maureen Hester, Dec., '16. One extra exemplar.
The tag on this puppet tells TH in a different from Aesopic form. This is the story in which the hare constantly sees tortoise ahead of him. Of course, the tortoise had alerted his relatives the night before to come out and walk through the riverbed when they heard the hare coming. This puppet is the right size for an adult hand. All four legs have room for fingers. The tortoise shell has a good stiffness to it.
1997 Tortoise and the Hare. 160 piece puzzle. Artist: Don Daily. 15½" x 11½". Made in USA. No. 97040. Salem, NH: F.X. Schmid. CFC 2020 0153.1. Unknown source.
This is about as elaborate a start of the TH race as I have seen! What a huge cast of characters! The trappings of the race along with the large congregation of animals make for a good puzzle. It was not easy! I had never thought of checkered pants for the hare. The top hats of two of the birds are among the best touches.
1980? Tortoise and hare transforming soft sculpture. 6½" x 3" x 2½" high. From an unknown source.
I do not remember any more where I found or from whom I received this little transforming soft sculpture. Twist one animal inside-out and you have the other animal. The green tortoise wears a brown wrap around his/her body--and smiles. The light brown rabbit has a pink nose and wears a red wrap around his/her body. The rabbit even has fine whiskers! Click on either of the images to see it enlarged.
1990? Irish linen hand towel featuring the hare riding the tortoise across the finish line. 19" x 30". "Irish Linen, Made in Ireland" says one sticker, and another marking notes "Pure Irish Linen." Another marking reads "Dunmoy, Reg."
In this whimsical version, the hare has become a jockey and is riding the tortoise instead of racing him. My, the things I never knew existed! Click on the image to see a larger version.
1980? Tortoise and Hare Toothbrushes. NY: Avon Products. Source and date unknown.
Who would have thought of it?! The two simple plastic toothbrushes match one another well. The tortoise gets a unicycle and the hare a carrot to fill out their brushes.
1950? TH Teapot. Aluminum and wood. 5” high. Unknown source.
Was this little pot meant to be a children’s teapot? Or a play teapot? The illustration repeated on both sides includes a “1 Mile” marker. It was certainly used! A quick glance on the web reveals many such, though perhaps not many with fable designs.
1995? Tortoise and hare storytime pin. Goldtone with two figures connected by a bar, 4 inches across. Hand enameled with genuine Austrian rhinestones for eyes.
This piece is charming, colorful, and heavy. The tortoise has the lead. Click on the image to enlarge it.
One cup, almost 3½" high and 3" in diameter, showing the tortoise and hare with the fox perhaps as starter for the race. $15 from Donna Roark at The Scarlet Ibis in McKinney, Texas, through Ebay, August, '99.
1960? Tortoise and Hare Salt and Pepper Shakers. Glass. Each about 2.75" long. Made in Japan. Hare is marked "Lefton's Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Exclusives." Unknown source.
The tortoise is set well to be looking back at the sleeping hare. In most versions, the hare will wake up just before the tortoise approaches the finish line.
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!
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.
