Golden Plates
1910? Six Tin Tea Set Plates. Each 5.5" in diameter. FC, FS, OF, and WL, with extras of OF and WL. $45 each for three from Ray Hanson, Garland TX through Ebay, Feb., '99. Three further plates from another source at another time.
The curved edge of each, almost an inch in width, has a green, gold, and red pattern. Then in the center is a multicolored illustration. OF is the best preserved of the original set; it seems to lack the pock-marking of the other two. All three show some rust and staining. They may have spent some serious time in someone's attic or even sand-box! FC is the most worn of the later three. In fact, OF and WL are in very good condition. What a great and curious find!
FS: Here the disgruntled fox stands away from the stork and his vases and looks at the viewer.
OF: The composition of the design balances the two main animals, frog and ox, nicely. In a moment, this scene will not be so placid!
WL: The wolf towers over the lamb. A viewer who wants to check can find that the water is indeed moving from the wolf to the lamb. Another pleasing composition!
FC: The fox already has the cheese well in control under his paw. Might this be the place where, in La Fontaine's version, the fox is telling the crow that it is worth a cheese to learn that flatterers exist at the expense of those silly enough to believe them?