Fèves

1990? Two dimensional Fève illustrating GGE. €2 from collecstore 13 through Ebay, March, '24. The golden egg helps to define the not-so-easy-to-define hen here. I continue to be amazed at how many different sets of fèves there are. They keep appearing!

2018 Feve disk "La Cigale et la F…." €1.40 from Un monde de collection through Ebay, Dec., '23. This disk is clearly to be paired with a fellow representing the cicada. Ebay represents it as a "Devinette," which I take to be a puzzle. I presume that description rests on the this feve's need to be paired with its partner.

1980 Earthenware pot fève, for €3 from thyme through Ebay, Dec., ’20. Fèves do not get any simpler than this! There are good cracks in this pot!

1980 12 different fables illustrated by fèves. From various vendors online and at French flea markets, through August, '15. These "beans" combine two characters in one scene, often with simple and even garish coloring. Simple forms. Are these members of more than one set?

1980 8 different fables illustrated by fèves. From various vendors online and at French flea markets, through August, '15. One duplicate of TMCM as a cadeau offered with other fèves. As can happen with such small sculptures, the results are sometimes a little bizarre. The milkmaid is pictured quite differently, for example, from other illustrations of this fable. WL seems to miss the fable quite entirely. WC, by contrast, seems quite successful! Some further investigation reveals that these are eight of the ten feves listed as "Complete Series of 10 Fables Feves" but without FG and LM. These are differently colored: that is where some of the "bizarre" comes into play.

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!

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.

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.

2001? Complete set of eight fèves depicting four pairs of characters from fables of La Fontaine. Casino - Arguydal. AFF 50.2001. P12. *74. €10 from Faboland-com, Champdieu, France through Ebay, Oct., '22. Extra set for €7 from 09.manue through Ebay at the same time. An extra of the wolf as a gift from a generous seller earlier. These eight fèves are nicely divided into pairs. The best may be the crow and the wolf. The least good may be the grasshopper. Their small size may have precluded more detail.

2010? Complete set of six fèves depicting fables of La Fontaine. Ref. T111. €9.50 from ptijacky, Usez, France, through Ebay, Oct., '22. These six fèves are marked by their double character. Even FG is really about the interaction of two entities. With all the others it is even clearer. It is curious that that FG fève is the only one of this set not already in the collection and pictured under "fèves to be viewed three dimensionally." Comparison of the five duplicates shows how differently those of this set are colored. I have been unable to learn anything more about this set or where it comes from.

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.

2015? Set of five matched pairs of fèves representing fables of Jean de La Fontaine. Fabophile. €17.81 from fabofolies through Ebay, Sept., '22. I am beginning to sense how many sets of fèves must be out there representing La Fontaine's fables. This set by Fabophile is well executed. The only description I can get from a vendor -- or perhaps the manufacturer? -- is "Série de fèves représentant les duos célèbres." These are among the best fable fèves I have seen, and the set seems to be rare.