Anonymous, France, 17th century

  • 17 cent. Lady's Fan
  • 17 cent. Lady’s Fan

  • (c. 1675–1690), mixed media on parchment or vellum
  • Private Collection

Additional views:

  • bleeding the pig
  • bleeding the pig
  • cutting up the pig
  • cutting up the pig
  • soaking the pig in brine
  • soaking the pig in brine
  • children inflate the pig's bladder as a toy
  • children inflate the pig’s bladder as a toy

Editor’s Note:

This scene of pig butchering in a village or castle farm setting is reminiscent of other engraved or painted scenes by artists such as Teniers, Ostade and Heyden, or as depicted in various Books of Hours.

It seems an unusual scene for a lady’s fan, as we see the pig alive, then bled, cut up, cured, and even transformed into a balloon toy!