Cups and Mugs
1920 Rouse Parian Mug with FG. 2.5" x 2.5". Trenton, NJ: Rouse Pottery. Unknown source.
I was surprised to find an identical mug in the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Rouse Parian" is stamped on the bottom. As often with the motif of "Fox and Grapes," the fable's emphasis that the fox cannot get the grapes is missed as the two are brought together in image.
1950? Matching cup and saucer with the former featuring WC flanked by a tree group and a fence group. The saucer offers three images apparently not directly related to fables: dogs pointing, wolves (?) attacking a lamb, and a pheasant. The cup stands 2.25" high and has about the same diameter, and the saucer is a little over 4.5" in diameter. White (porcelain?) with gray illustrations. There is one serious chip in the cup. $8 from John Cawley, Blue Jay, CA, through Ebay, Feb., '00.
A small, dainty set. Maybe the biggest surprise lies in the way it moves from a fable scene on the cup to three generic animal scenes on the saucer. Might this have belong to a child's set? It seems small for adults. I am not sure that I want, while eating, to look at a stork putting his beak down a wolf's throat!
1960? TH Sipping Cup with Lid. Plastic. 3.75" high. 3.25" diameter. Unknown source.
Now here is a way to introduce children to a fable from the earliest days! I am unsure what is between the two characters under the hare's super-long ears. Plants perhaps?
1982? "Mr. Fables Family Restaurants" travel mug. Grand Rapids, MI. Whirley Industries. Suitable for dashboard use. $16 from anythingeverythingandmo through Ebay, Oct., '22.
There is a sticky adhesive patch on the separate red bottom-piece to hold it onto the dashboard of a car or truck, and then one can slide the mug into this holder. The seller emphasizes that "This is an extremely collectible Mr Fables travel mug, and probably quite rare in its unused condition." See also the sets of gift certificates from Mr. Fables restaurants.
1987"A Carnival of Animals" Cup. British Museum Collections. Fine Bone China. Made in England. Unknown source.
There is no direct correlation that I can see with the fables that we know as Aesopic. Still, the ass and the lion playing chess comes close enough – and so figured the friend who gave me this for the collection!
1990? Large gray and blue cup with "No act of kindness no matter how small . . . is ever wasted. Aesop" on two sides. Royal Norfolk. Chesapeake, VA: Greenbrier International. From Sharon Green, Dallas, TX, thru eBay, perhaps Feb., '06.
The quotation used on this large cup has become rather standard for citation on mugs, mousepads, t-shirts, and elsewhere. It comes presumably from LM. I am not sure it fits exactly with fable wisdom. Fable wisdom might say "Sometimes you can help yourself by helping other people!" I preached this past weekend that values not rooted in stories are ephemeral, and this may be an example. I want to know "What story did that saying come from?" This is one of many eBay purchases lost in history, and I can find little about this cup on the web.
1995? Gray and brown mug with black lettering and brown figure. "If you deal with a fox, think of his tricks. Jean de La Fontaine." Made in Japan. Annamieke Laport, Salem, OR, through eBay, August, '
A good question would be: "Which fable of La Fontaine does this come from?" Often the fox in La Fontaine seems wise but comes up losing, as when the cat does better with its one trick of climbing the tree than the fox does with his hundred dodges. The crow in FC can certainly learn frm the fox's tricks. The fox on this cup has a suitcase -- or at least a valise -- ready to go.
1996 Black and white mug featuring Robert Dole and Bill Clinton as tortoise and hare. Artist: Milt Prigee. China: Linyi. Silver phr nix. $1 from Sharon and Kelly Smith, Hayden ID, through eBay, August, '04.
The curious thing about the design on this mug is that Clinton is heading in one direction and Dole is heading in the other! The design is signed ""MPriggee. KPBX. '96. Spokane."
2000? Brown and cream cup featuring FS. Katherine Hackl, Spindletop Studios, Stockton, NJ.
A fox with an attitude looks directly at a peaceful stork standing over a vase. Plants fill in the open spaces on this almost geometric cup. The base of the cup is stamped with a fish.
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2020? Fox Aesop Fable Trading Card Illustration Coffee Mug. $20.30 from EclecticRetroBazaar, Jan., '23.
I presume that this mug is a recent creation. It is surprising in at least two different ways. First, the fable it illustrates is excellent but less well known these days. Secondly, it is copied from a small card by Gallaher cigarettes, one of a set of a hundred cards. The surprise for me is that the mug-decorator in this case chose a small image to reproduce.
2023? The Fox and the Crow Fable Mug. Ceramic. 3¾" high. Identical scene on each side. $19.54 from Mangastory through Etsy, Jan., '25.
Lovely blues and brown, with just the touch of yellow in the crow's cheese. I am encouraged by the way that Etsy's craftspersons are discovering good motifs in the fables.
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