Pleated Fan (France), ca. 1780 (CH 18429679)

Pleated fan. Front and back leaves of hand-colored etching on paper. Obverse: a satirical depiction American separation from England, and the 1778 treaty subsequently signed between America and France. England is represented by the placid cow and the recumbent lion, tamed and controlled by the Dutch, the Spanish, and the French. At center, a group of men saw off the horns of a cow (Great Britain) while another milks her. At left, a man amputates the right paw of the British lion while another treads on the beast’s back. Two Englishmen lament the scene and drop the deed of separation. At right, two women (France and England) are embracing, while a group of crowned women representing the other nations of Europe gather around a scroll inscribed, “Epoque fatale 4 Juillet 1776 -- 13 Mai 1778”. Reverse: French explanation of obverse.
Bone sticks. Mother-of-pearl washer at the rivet.