2008 Set of 12 fèves of the fables of La Fontaine by Vahine. €10.99 for 11 of the 12 from genealogos on Ebay, July, '20. $1.79 for the twelfth fève, the hare, from Sandysandciestore on Ebay, August, '20.
This group of fèves is unusual for being paired. Fables are of course often about pairs encountering each other. In this case, each little statue is shaped to fit alongside its partner. So I offer photos of the "couples."
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.
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!
2020? 6 Colored fable cards: original art by Susana Cereja. FC; GA; OF; LS; AD; and DW. $20.87 through Etsy, March, ‘21. One extra set.
What a delightful set of illustrations! Though they are listed as postcards, they do not have the usual verso of a postcard. For now, I treat them as fable cards. My favorites are FC, where the fox is playing a violin for the willing crow, and DW, which features the dog tightening his formal necktie. Well done, Susana! In GA, what is on the monochromatic egg’s side besides a broom: ant eggs or unlimited food for the future?
1930? Twelve numbered cards from the 269 series of 12 portrait-formatted trade cards advertising Suchard products. La Fontaine fables. €33 each from collectomania, Oct., '22.
These cards follow the pattern found in the later cards of having each card advertise one of Suchard's particular products. In this case, the product itself is pictured as part of the front of the card. The verso of each is highly ornamental. At the top, five Suchard products are listed. Under "Suchard," a text-box features at least a portion of the fable. Around this text-box is a repeated design of various fable characters. "Série 269" is at the bottom right of each verso.
1930? 9 colored La Fontaine prints signed "Starling." 100 Francs each at a Buchinist along the Seine, August, '99.
Each 9.5" x 6.2" print has an image on the left, including the title of La Fontaine's fable. On the right is the text. Each is mounted on stiff paper almost 16" x 11". The fables are FC, FS, GA, MM, OF, TB, TMCM, WL, and 2P. They use color very nicely and have a cartoon quality in their conception. My favorite is OF. In it there is a bathing-beauty frogette, and the about-to-explode frog wears swimming shorts that only emphasize the balloon-like character of his chest. I always knew it: the cheese lost by the crow to the fox is a Camembert! See also a collection of postcards using these same images.
1995 5 notecards, made to match their appropriate envelopes by placing an enlarged image of the fable stamp at the left edge of the landscape paper. Almost 4" x 8¼". The stamps in question are the Fables of La Fontaine stamps issued on June 24, 1995. $15 for the cards and envelopes from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, through Ebay, Jan., '02.
The five notecards are all inscribed by a young hand, most with warm messages like "Je vous aime" or "Je vous adore." The cards are unusual in having no apparent identifying marks. Other than a title, a picture, and a verse or two, there is nothing printed on either side of these cards.
1995 6 small envelopes, each featuring in its upper left corner a cartoon in the same style as the stamp but showing a different scene. Its stamp is then from the same fable in the series of La Fontaine fable stamps issued on June 24, 1995. All are postmarked on that day, and each envelope is noted as "Premier Jour d'Émission." On the back of each envelope is La Fontaine's fable and acknowledgement of Claudine and Roland Sabatier as the creators of both the stamp and the illustration on the envelope. $24 from Loic Marchat, Villeurbanne, France, Sept., '04.
Now here is yet another incarnation of the designs of this series. Here the stamps' artists create another scene from the same fable in the same style as the stamp that they created. The tortoise checking his watch as he goes is especially cute. FC's scene seems to be a daylight counterpart to the stamp's night-time scene. The grasshopper in this series comes off as not just an artist but a weirdo!
1965? Smaller set of five colored Luneville plates. 7½" in diameter. €60 for the set from fr. Lavi on Ebay, Oct., '23.
The designs here are mirror opposites of those on the colored Keller and Guerin plates just above. They also lack the golden stripe inside the rim. I continue to find these designs delightful, not least the tortoise and hare on their bicycles! After some negotiating and finally purchasing these lovely plates, I discovered the other similar Keller and Guerin plates and thought "Oh, no! I just bought things we already have!" Not true, as I found out when I opened them and compared. I would rather be lucky than good!
2000? Série complète de 10 fèves Fables de la Fontaine. Two dimensional. €17.81 from fabolfolies through Ebay, Oct., '22.
The unusual characteristic of this otherwise unidentified set of 10 fèves is that each has a flat side and is thus two-dimensional. It is also unusual that two pairs out of the ten figurines use the same form but are colored differently. Is there a black ant and a white ant? And are there two cicadas? Otherwise we have OF, TH, and FC.
1995 Set of four uncancelled stamps from Albania featuring "Zhan de la Fonten." The three conventional full-color stamps display each a variety of fable characters. The fourth, larger item worth 60 leke presents La Fontaine himself with several fable scenes. $3.35 from John Ortz, Montreal, through eBay, Oct., '02. Extra copy of the 60 leke stamp for $1.75 from Mr. Y. Fuks, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, through eBay, Oct., '06.
Earlier I had found the FDC with the three cancelled stamps. Now I have a set of the stamps uncancelled and the fourth piece that goes with them. This larger piece is not perforated. It presents La Fontaine, LM, FC, OF, "The Eagle and the Tortoise," and a final scene which I cannot specify. This scene involves a man and a snake, but I cannot understand their relationship. It bears the name "A. Matsoukis, S.A." It is numbered 0032252. To allow closer viewing of the stamps, I present each enlarged: click on the stamp to see the enlarged version.
1995 Set of eight Republique Française "Fables de La Fontaine" postage stamps. Mint. Marked "La Poste 1995." A T of C stamp lists the last six stamps of the series amid a border showing FG. Then on the second stamp the neck-scarf of a portrait-bust of La Fontaine reaches out to enclose a scene of TMCM. The six stamps follow, all showing a value of 2,80. The art is by R. and C. Sabatier. The last seven stamps in the series show "ITVF" in the lower right corner. £4 from Rowan S. Baker, The Covent Garden Stamp Shop, July, '98. One extra set for the same price at the same time. See the set of almost-identical postcards for a larger blow-up of each scene.
LAFsetof6a.jpg(right top) "Le Lièvre et la Tortue" shows the tortoise breaking the finish-line tape while the hare chases a butterfly with a net.
(center top) "Le Corbeau et le Renard" gives the serenading fox a violin.
(left top) "La Cigale et la Fourmi" has the grasshopper playing an accordion and a tambourine.
(right bottom) "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" shows a cat already licking his chops as he holds a scale with one of the contestants in each pan.
(center bottom) "La Grenouille qui se veut fair aussi grosse que le Boeuf" manages to present the nose-holding frog as being as big as the steer in the background.
(left bottom) "Le Loup et l'Agneau" is one of the best; the wolf leers at the lamb, but as a reflection seen by the lamb in the water
I had heard of a recent set of French La Fontaine stamps and had asked for them at several places. It was luck and a whim that led me to ask for them when I passed this stamp shop during a very brief London visit. The eight stamps are a single strip, and the better copy has a margin attached on the left. Here's the way the strip looks as originally published with the stamps together:
1950? 11 French plates featuring La Fontaine fable scenes produced in Longwy, France. Each is 7¾" in diameter. Backs of the plates include one or all of these three elements: an ink stamp of the Longwy name and coat of arms (apparently a berry branch under a crown); an imprinted mark; and a stamped number (5 or 8). There is one extra of WC. 1500 Francs from Jacques Chesnais at Marché Vernaison in Clignancourt, August, '99.
Each plate has a green line inside an undulating outer edge. At the point of indentation an 1¼" into the plate there is a simple black line. Once the plate reaches its lowest level, a repeated pattern of thin and thick blocks forms a circle around the fable scene. This is done in about five strong colors: brown, tan, blue, green, red, and black. The resulting scenes look like wood inlay and are delightful in their simplicity. Does the mouse in FM wear goggles and a swimsuit? The snail in "The Heron" is particularly charming. I found this set early in the day, made a deal to hold them for the day, and had to visit several money machines to get the cash to buy them! Then I got to carry them on my back for the rest of my travels! It was worth it!
2010? Complete set 5 pairs of "Ronde des Pains" Feves of the fables of La Fontaine. €11 from pokemon-mew-two through Ebay, Dec., '23.
This is an unusual set of feves in that each piece advertises "Ronde des Pains," an apparently well-known set of French bakeries. There are no titles of individual characters or fables on the pieces themselves. Each partner's base has a straight-line edge ready to match up with the edge of its partner's base.
2005? Série complète de 12 fèves Vahiné - Fables de la Fontaine. €28.33 from fabolfolies through Ebay, Oct., '22.
This is a generally well-executed set of six pairs of statuettes. A distinguishing characteristic is the circles around eyes. Perhaps the best pair is FC. The cicada seems to be more of a hobo than a musician!
1990? Sabino "The Frog and the Ox" opalescent figurine paperweight. 4½" long, slightly less than 1½" high, and less than 1" wide in its base. Mint. Signed. Original box. Paris: Sabino. $60 from R.T. and Carol Brower, Mountain Collectibles, Ridgway, CO, through Ebay, Nov., '99.
Though this work is beautiful for its milk-and-gold coloring, I do not catch the fun of the fable in it. Is there any suggestion of the frog's exploding? The two molded halves may be meant to present different scenes, but so far I can read only that the frog is whispering into the ox's ear. Nothing from the artist--not the work itself nor the box nor the enclosed brochure--identifies this scene as from an Aesopic fable, much less from this particular fable. The Sabino brochure says that his work exemplifies "Art Deco."
1995 6 cards each stamped with the scene it portrays from La Fontaine's fables. R. & C. Sabatier in the larger format of a post card. $19.50 from Alexandre Prozopiorski, Lyon, July, '99. And a version of GA signed by Sabatier for $4 from Topical Paradise, July, '16.
The more I see of these designs, the more I like them. They play with the fables. As far as I can tell, there is little or no difference from the stamps themselves. The result is that one can see here in larger scale what happens on the smaller stamp. "La Cigale et la Fourmi" has the grasshopper playing an accordion and a tambourine. "La Grenouille qui se veut fair aussi grosse que le Boef" manages to present the nose-holding frog as being as big as the steer in the background. "Le Loup et l'Agneau" is one of the best; the wolf leers at the lamb, but as a reflection seen by the lamb in the water. "Le Corbeau et le Renard" gives the fox a violin. "Le Chat, la Belette et le petit Lapin" shows a cat already licking his chops as he holds a scale with one of the contestants in each pan. "Le Lièvre et la Tortue" shows the tortoise breaking the finish-line tape while the hare chases a butterfly with a net.
1960? Ten small (2" x 2¾") numbered papers advertising Ruelle "Chcolats-Bonbons" and "Bonbons/Chocolade." Even the title of the collection is bilingual: "Fabels van La Fontaine" and "Fables de La Fontaine." $8.95 for #5 OF from Vintadv, August, '18. Eight further cards for $6 each from Bertrand Cocq, Calonne Ricouart, France, Sept., '20. FC (#24) from an unknown source, Nov., '22.
These pictures are fun and exceptionally detailed. In #5, a huge bull looks through a broken fence section at a frog in a swimming suit on his back, perhaps because he has just burst. One can even make out the ox's teeth! I wonder if this collection goes beyond fables. Might it be that the verso of the first of several cards illustrating a single fable offers a bilingual title for the fable? That approach might explain why some of these slips have titles and some do not. Now the collection also includes the complete album of Ruelle slips, also listed under books at "1960?"
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.
1900? 4 Dust jackets ("Couverture Cahier") "Fables de La Fontaine" featuring colored work presentations of individual fables and texts on the back covers. Perhaps all from Pellerin of Épinal? €6 each from Chromosetcollections on Ebay, Nov., '20.
I have been unconvinced and then convinced – mostly – that these four dust-jackets were published by Épinal of Pellerin. They are so much in the style of that firm that I simply presumed that they were the publishers. Unfortunately, there is no marking on them to indicate the publisher except the symbol on the front of all four jackets: a coat of arms "P S" and "Propriété des Editeurs." The least likely to come from Pellerin, it seems to me, is "Le Lion et le Chasseur."
1995 One FDC from Albania featuring "Zhan de la Fonten." Postmarked August 20, 1995. The three full-color stamps used for posting the letter display each a variety of fable characters. Even the postmark is peculiar to La Fontaine. $20.50 John Rydzewski at JR Stamps through Ebay, Feb., '02.
Now here is a surprise! I would not have thought of Albania as a country that would celebrate Jean de la Fontaine. The spiffy design on the envelope, rendered in brown, blue, and violet, slenderizes and stylizes La Fontaine as he almost dances up to a book with pen in hand. The first of the stamps, worth 2 leke, includes TT, BC, WC, and LM. The second stamp, worth 3 leke, features FG, FC, FS, and DS. On the third, worth 25 leke, I think I can make out AD, OR, and perhaps OF. The characters seem to be rendered in pastels of some sort.
A handleless bowl 6" across featuring OF. On the opposite side there is a panel with the fable's title and moral in cursive. Around these two elements are a raised unpainted floral pattern.
This is the kind of bowl from which I love to drink café-au-lait when I am in Paris. The image seems to me Rabier-like. The ox looks back with a wary eye on the enlarged but not yet burst frog.
1996 Complete set of 10 Nex fable fèves. Matching pairs. €32 from Monique Gottero, Aulon, France, through Ebay, Dec., '21.
The ten disks come with five having a notch to fit with a fully circular disk, and thus the five famous pairs align. Many seem to me backwards, starting with the "and" of the second partner. I can find no reference to this particular series on the web, though references to other Nex series abound.
