Catalog (183)

Offered is a fabulous grouping of 6, VERY RARELY FOUND, 1880's, Black Americana Musician die cuts printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London.

The products for which these die cuts were meant to endorse is unknown. The die cuts feature an embossed, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. This grouping would look fabulous framed!

Approximate measurements are as follows:
6 Musicians: 6.6" tall x 3.50" wide

Please note that any white specks that seem prominent in the closeup photos are the result of light bouncing off the surfaces of the aged die cuts. These pieces are approximately 140 years old, and while in very good condition given their age, tiny surface imperfections may be evident here and there.

The photo of the verso of all 6 figures reveals that only the violinist has received some restoration- a single piece of archival tape reinforcing a crease.

This entire grouping of die cuts is being sold as one single offering at $45.00.

Offered is a fabulous grouping of 10, VERY RARELY FOUND, 1880's, Black Americana die cuts printed in Germany and sold by the Bim Brothers, London.

The die cuts are a representation of every day European black folk of the 1880s- from a mother holding her infant to an officer in the army, these ten charming die cuts make for a thought-provoking display! Interestingly, yes, these die cuts do indeed have a bluish tinge to their skin color- an occurrence for which no explanation can be offered.

The products for which these die cuts were meant to endorse is unknown. The die cuts feature an embossed, glossy finish which compliments the beautiful detailing and intense coloring of each piece. This grouping would look fabulous framed!

Approximate measurements are as follows:
6 Musicians: 4.75" tall x 3.75" wide

Please note that any white specks that seem prominent in the closeup photos are the result of light bouncing off the surfaces of the aged die cuts. These pieces are approximately 140 years old, and while in very good condition given their age, tiny surface imperfections may be evident here and there.

The photo of the verso of the figures reveals that there are no restorations or repairs to any of the 6 figures whose verso can be viewed. Note that 4 of the figures remain loosely attached to the black construction paper; it will be left to the buyer to choose whether or not to detach them.

This entire grouping of die cuts is being sold as one single fabulous offering at $55.00.

These authentic and extraordinarily RARE, hand-forged, wrought iron, Slave Ship Ankle Shackles were de-accessioned from a private collection. Ankle shackles such as these were used to restrain and imprison kidnapped Africans below decks in the slaver ships' holds during what is known as the ‘Middle Passage’, the brutal voyage endured by captured Africans from the West Coast of Africa to enslavement in the Americas- the second portion of what was known as the transatlantic slave trade.

While the precise age of this late 18th to early 19th century old shackle is unknown, this type of ankle shackle has been documented to have been in use as far back as the 1780's by English slave traders, and was likely in continued use up until the 1860 onset of America's Civil War.

In 2015, the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool, England, acquired a set of ankle shackles very similar to the set offered here. In referring to the museum's acquisition, the museum's Head, Dr Richard Benjamin, related the following:

“A similar pair of shackles was purchased in Liverpool by the campaigner Thomas Clarkson in his antislavery crusade as evidence against the transatlantic slave trade. They were presented in front of Privy Council in 1788 as part of its enquiry into the transatlantic slave trade. An engraving of the shackles with a detailed description also appeared in Clarkson’s antislavery pamphlet."

These hand-forged, wrought iron ankle shackles remain in all-original and untouched condition, measuring approximately 11.75 inches in length. The cuff sizes vary slightly ranging from approximate lengths of 3.75 to 4 inches and approximate widths from 2.75 to 3 inches, a set likely used on a female slave. The shackles can be described as consisting of a wrought iron bolt with a pair of loops slid onto it via holes in both ends of each loop. One end of the iron bar is fixed closed by a triangular-shaped flange large enough to prevent the loops from being removed from the bar. The other end of the bar ends in a circular "eye" that is secured closed by a hand-wrought circular "lock washer" inserted at the time the shackles were applied.

An utterly gruesome, tangible testament to the malevolence and horrors of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.