A FRAKTUR DRAWING OF AN AMERICAN SNAKE AND A BRITISH LION

A symbol of American unity and might during the eighteenth century, the snake is seen here fighting with a British lion. A closely related example that lacks the lion but appears to be by the same hand is titled "Description of a monstrous and great Snake, called Anaconda" (see Northeast Auctions, Manchester, New Hampshire, 2 August 2014, lot 252). The related example has been dated to circa 1824 and it is likely that such imagery would be popular during the Marquis de Lafayette's tour of America. Found in a farmhouse near Kutztown in Berks County, this drawing was the heirloom of a family that had lived in the area since the eighteenth century and was likely made in the vicinity.