Individual Cloths
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.
1960? Heavy cotton fabric with several fable scenes among whisteria. 9 yards x 17" x 56" wide. $99.99 from Rennae Philllips, Issaquah, WA, through Ebay, March, '99.
Rennae is right: this is impressive fabric. The repeating scenes include FS, TH, "Two Cocks," and "The Lion, the Wolf, and the Fox." Click on the upper portion for an overview and on the lower portion for a detail of FS.
1970? Hand-sewn, framed cross stitch "Aesop's Fables." A composition of four Aesop's fables titles and characters, 21" x 29". $48.59 from Maria Juhasz, Gainesville, FL, through Ebay, Nov., '99.
This large, framed, piece of stitchery puts together the four components in pleasing fashion. A heavy green border includes leaves above and below a design that announces "Aesop's Fables" at the upper left. Under it a fox has turned around from the grapes behind him to look at the viewer. He sits as though on an arch formed above the head of a lion lying across the base of the work. The lion looks at a small mouse before him. Above his haunch are the country and town mice talking to each other while perched, respectively, on a stalk of grain and a rope. Above the square which they occupy are a tortoise and hare under an arch. I am delighted to have found this and proud to display it in my office! If you click on it above, you will see a fuller-sized version.
1970? Crocheted doily of "The Fox and the Goat." $50 from an unknown source, March, '20.
Here is very delicate work. The fox has tried to talk the young goat into opening the door and has been rebuffed. Is "loup" here misspelled "loop"? I am not sure how a piece like this would have been used. My, how Aesop gets around!
1980? Feedsack cloth picturing CP. 32" x 10¾". $22.50 from elianabelle920 through Ebay, Nov., '22.
This is a lovely long stretch of blue cloth. I wonder if finding it sets me off a new search for fable feedsack cloths! Who would have thought it!
1988 Circular framed crewel-stitchery by Lois Carlson titled "Aesop's Fables." The stitchery presents five pairs: LM, TH, GGE, "The Tree and the Reed," and "The Horse and the Two Thieves."
I think it especially clever of Mom to find fables that gave her pairs of characters. In each pair, one dominates over the other. So the pine dominates over the reed, the lion over the mouse, and the goose over the golden egg. The formula works less well with the hare many times larger than the turtle and with the ass that is many times larger than both the miller and his son. The two human images work together to flank the larger animal between them.
1999 Marvic Textiles "Les Fables De La Fontaine" Toile Printed 100% Cotton Fabric. 2 Yds+35.5". F-231. $79.95 from marcus*d on Ebay, April, '23.
This is a serious piece of cloth and a wonderful addition to the collection! The repeated pattern includes eight fables, four to a column, with one column featuring ovals and hexagons, and the other circles and octagons. The eight fables are, in one column, "Elephant and Pug"; "The Fox and the Bust"; BS; and "Two Bulls and the Frogs." The other column features "The Oyster and the Litigants"; "The Horse and the Ass"; "The Man and the Satyr"; and "The Lioness and the She-Bear." The cloth is beautifully executed and in excellent condition. My guess at its age is pure speculation! My thanks to the seller for providing a rich array of views of this impressive cloth! Click on the cloth to see some various views of this lovely piece!
2000? Tortoise and Hare cross-stitch with French "goal" sign. 8½" x 20". $30 from Tess Moran, Poolesville, MD, through Ebay, May, '22.
Though the seller notes a small flaw among the flowers, this is still a lovely creation! Framed and ready to hang.
2002? Cross-stitch "Easy Does it!" TH. Felt over a board. 8” x 10”. $5.75 from Diane Strohmenger, March, '04.
Images depict a hare and a tortoise above and below, respectively, the rather unusual moral “Easy Does it!” sewn into the center of the image.