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Fantastical Creatures from the Stacks

By Sasha Lamadrid, education manager

Throughout recorded history, stories of fantastical creatures have captured our imagination and helped us make sense of the unexplained. While some tales are unique to specific cultures, others appear across place and time, seemingly independent but sharing common threads.

Inspired by our October events Howl-O-Ween at The Wolf–Fantastical Creatures and Into the Stacks: Werewolf(sonian)—we went digging for beasts and beings in the collection. Here, we've narrowed it down to our favorite types.

Dragons

Dragons appear across cultures worldwide, often identified as hybrid creatures possessing reptilian and avian traits. Over time, and through the mixing of cultural ideas, the four-legged, flying, fire-breathing menace became so well known that it has spawned some of the greatest literary, television/film, and gaming narratives of all time.

In East Asia, dragons appear more serpentine, without wings, and are seen as a mostly benevolent force that can harness the power of nature to benefit or—when provoked—destroy society. In contrast, dragons in Western and Middle Eastern cultures are often evil, representing greed and gluttony—a villain that society must vanquish. Dragon Slayer by Albert Wainwright and a bronze sculpture of a triumphant knight standing over a slain dragon by August Kraus perfectly illustrate the dragon as a formidable foe, a trope echoed in tales of dragons hoarding treasure, staking claim to their territory, and requiring sacrifices. There is also a repeating motif of them being an obstacle in a hero's journey.

A man dressed in armor carrying a sword that rests on his right shoulder stands over a dragon in this bronze sculpture. He wears a helmet with the face covering lifted, a breastplate, armor for his legs and arms, and chainmail underneath. The man stands with his left foot placed over the dragon’s body and his right foot on the cubed, pillar-like base of the sculpture. His left arm is bent, hand resting on his hip, and his right arm is bent and lifted slightly upward to support his sword. The man’s face is partially visible through the helmet, his eyes narrowed and staring directly at us. The dragon beneath the man has a scaly body with a long, curved tail that drapes over the edges of the sculpture’s base. Its head hangs down over the front of the sculpture, slightly turned to the side and eyes closed. The man and dragon have a brown, bronze color with a glossy finish, and the base is made of a polished stone with a pale, beige tone and visible marble-like veins.Sculpture, 1916
August Kraus (German, 1868–1934)
Germany
Bronze, marble
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Promised Gift, WC2003.9.30.1A silver bowl cast in the shape of a dragon contains a gold interior and is supported by four small, outstretched dragon feet. The dragon’s head and neck extend from one side of the bowl, and the dragon’s long, curled tail follows out of the opposite end at a raised angle. The dragon’s mouth is open, revealing sharp teeth, and its eyes are rounded and open. The dragon’s body, which makes up the form of the bowl, is scaly in texture at the bottom and decorated with ridges and swirled patterns along the top. The legs of the dragon, which sit under the bowl’s base, are muscular and end in sharp, clawed feet to support the object. The entire bowl is metallic, with a slightly reflective surface.

Bowl, c. 1900
Henrik Møller (Norwegian, 1858–1937), silversmith
Trondheim, Norway
Sterling silver, gilt
The Wolfsonian–FIU, Gift of Historical Design, New York City, 2021.25.95

In the center of this horizontal painting, a nude man stands over a four-legged dragon with his legs spread apart, arms raised, and sword in hand. The dark green, snake-like body of the dragon coils around the man’s figure. Its large legs, ending in sharp claws, are positioned in the lower left and right corners of the foreground. The dragon’s thick, curled tail wraps around a tree trunk in the upper right corner. In the upper left corner, the dragon’s head, featuring pointed ears, sharp white teeth, a red tongue, and glowing red eyes, faces the man. Smoke streams from its nostrils. The man, with pale, yellow-tinted skin, is positioned just right of the dragon’s head. He holds a white sword in his right hand, featuring a red hilt and streaks of red along the upper half. Two drops of red liquid fall from the sword's tip. His right leg, on the viewer's left, presses against the dragon’s chest, while his left foot pins its back to the ground. The background features green and dark gray trees planted into a yellow-orange ground. Some trees are streaked with red on their trunks, and they curve inward toward a gray footpath behind the man, leading into the distance. Dark gray patches on the ground mimic the trees’ silhouettes. In the foreground, where the dragon’s body meets the lower edge of the painting, a large wound on the dragon's side bleeds. To the right of the wound, near the lower right corner, the artist’s signature appears in red.Painting, Dragon Slayer, c. 1927–38
Albert Wainwright (British, 1898–1943)
Great Britain
Gouache on paper
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 87.786.5.1A gold cuff cast in the shape of a dragon contains five evenly-spaced jade gemstones embedded into the metal. The dragon is positioned with its body coiled and head turned to the side, its mouth open revealing sharp teeth and wrapping around one of the jade stones. The dragon’s scales are individually defined, and its eyes are prominent and of a reflective quality. The snout of the dragon has two long whiskers that curl and flow down the back of its head, slightly lifting off of its body. The cuff is primarily metallic, with a shiny, reflective surface in shades of bronze and gold. The inside of the cuff is smooth and unadorned.

Bracelet, c. 1900
Samurai Shokai, Yokohama, Japan, retailer
Gold, jade
The Wolfsonian–FIU, Gift of Historical Design, New York City, 87.786.5.1

Merfolk

Alongside the Kraken, Leviathan, and Scylla, merfolk have been thought to roam the open waters. The half-human, half-fish beings we're familiar with today had a much less glamorous reputation in ancient times. Greek sirens, bird-women who lured sailors to their deaths with enchanting songs, were a fearsome presence associated with danger, rough weather, drowning, and shipwrecks. Yet, other ancient tales of human-fish hybrid creatures, like that of the kulullû in 3rd-millenium BCE Babylonia, considered them positive, protective beings. The terms "siren" and "mermaid" were used interchangeably in later periods to refer to fish-tailed merfolk.

In modern times, mermaids epitomize beauty and feminine ideals. Julius Klinger's mermaid illustrations depict sinuous, nude female figures sensuously posed among fish and seagrass. Other artists, like Romeo Berardi, imagine merfolk as more creature-like. A bowl in the collection, for example, shows a merman with fish-like fins and lips, holding a pile of beads like treasure—evoking the trope of the territorial sea creature hoarding treasure from sunken ships.

This vertical lithographic print features two stylized, slender women whose bodies merge into large fish tails, intertwining with patterns reminiscent of aquatic life. On the left, one woman stands upright, facing the edge of the paper, her head turned to the right as she gazes down at the other woman below her. She has a narrow, angular face, and her dark hair extends upward into a flowing shape. Her arms are long and bent—her right arm rests on a textured, rock-like surface, while her left arm crosses her chest, with her hand placed on her right shoulder. A small snail perches atop the rock near her right arm. She is nude, with her left breast exposed and a small black mole just below the right corner of her lips. In the lower right quadrant, the second woman is positioned horizontally, bending over with her arms stretched forward and downward. Her body mirrors the slender form of the other woman, with elongated, webbed fingers. Only her left eye is visible, drawn with a thin line, and her mouth is slightly open in a subtle smile. Like the first woman, she has a black mole under the left corner of her lips. Her dark hair is styled similarly, though it remains collected rather than flowing outward. She is also nude, with her breasts partially exposed. The fish tails of both women are composed of sharp black-and-white triangular shapes, twisting and curving toward the left side of the print. Surrounding the figures are intricate patterns of flowing lines, fish with white-striped bodies, and circular eyes with small black pupils. A large, fish-like sea creature swims diagonally behind the women, its round eye and arched lines defining its sleek form.Print, Seenymphen [Mermaids], 1926
Julius Klinger (Austrian, 1876–1942)
Vienna, Austria
Lithograph
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XX1990.1717A humanoid creature with fin-like features curves its body downward as it holds an octopus and strands of beads in the painted interior of this glazed bowl. The creature’s top half appears human-like, with a head, two arms, human hands, and a torso, while the bottom half resembles a fish tail covered in green scales that fade into a mix of brown and dark green. This fish tail extends into a large, brown fin with green accents, curving outward and filling much of the bowl’s middle ground. The creature itself stretches across the entire bowl, with its body shades of blue, green, and brown. Its head is slightly bowed, showing more of the left side of its face, and whiskers rest under its nose. It holds a handful of beads and a squished octopus close to its eyes. A fish fin emerges from above the creature’s visible ear, slightly overlapping the beige inner border that encircles the rim. The background is a sea blue color with lighter swirls that float around the creature’s body.

Bowl, 1921
Romeo Berardi (Italian, 1882–1961)
Rome, Italy
Glazed earthenware
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XX1989.345

A nude female figure kneels at the center of a bright orange plate, holding a small child in this ceramic sculpture. Both figures have light, pale skin and slender physiques. The woman faces forward, her head tilted upward with wide-open eyes, gazing to the right at the child in her raised hands. She has short, stylized hair streaked with red, green, and black. Her lower legs gradually transform into colorful fins of the same hues, which rest on the orange base. The child, with pale yellow hair, sits in the woman's hands. His right arm is positioned just behind her head, while his left arm stretches upward above his face. His head is tilted back and to the right, with his mouth slightly open, and his body faces left, toward the woman. The orange plate serving as the sculpture's base features a cracked glaze pattern and slightly upturned edges.

Centerpiece, Mamma sirena su piatto [Mermaid Mother on a Plate], c. 1935
Abele Jacopi (Italian, 1882–1957), designer
Lenci, Turin, Italy, maker
Painted and glazed earthenware
Wolfsoniana–Palazzo Ducale Fondazione Regionale Per la Cultura, Genoa, GX1993.416a,b

In this vertical poster, a female figure wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a human upper body and a fish-like lower body holds a large bubble containing a logo. She is positioned in the lower half of the poster, with her body slightly turned to the left. The figure is outlined in white, while her swimsuit is filled in blue, featuring a single green stripe running down her side. She has long, flowing hair and leans back, raising her arms to support the bubble above her. Her lower body transitions into a fish tail starting at her thighs, covered in scales, and twists downward, ending in a fanned-out fin. Curved, wave-like white lines appear to the left and right of her. French text is written both above and below her, along the top and bottom edges of the poster. At the top, the text reads, “La mer, a fait son choix,” and at the bottom, “... vous aussi.” The bubble she holds contains a circular logo with a half-blue, half-green decorative border and a central emblem featuring abstract blue and green elements. The blue section of the circle’s border is inscribed with “Chemins de fer de l'État,” while the green section reads, “Le Réseau des 600 Plages.” The background transitions from a pale blue at the top to a muted blue-green at the bottom.

Poster, La mer a fait son choix.... vous aussi [The Sea Has Made Its Choice.... You Also], 1930–39
Robert Roquin (French), designer
Création Publimp-Nadal, for the French State Railways, publisher and printer
Offset color lithograph
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, TD1991.186.5

Centaurs and Satyrs

Centaurs and satyrs can be traced to ancient Greek and Roman mythology as well. Centaurs are identified by their upper-half human and lower-half horse form. Satyrs, also half-human, became more goat-like in the Roman era, especially as they became conflated with Pan, the god of nature whose human torso, goat legs, and horns resemble those of a faun (another creature similar to satyrs, but with more gentle and innocent traits).

These hoofed beings embody the human tension between our civilized and animalistic tendencies. Centaurs are seen as more impulsive, quick to anger, and prone to indulgence. This is represented in a medallion depicting a centaur carrying an overflowing cornucopia of berries or some kind of fruit. Satyrs, similarly, are lustful creatures but also wise and highly intelligent.

In this vertical drawing, a teal centaur holds the sole of a shoe heel at the center of the composition. The centaur has a human upper body, featuring a bald head, muscular arms, and a defined torso, while the lower half is that of a horse with four legs. The centaur appears in motion, with its front legs raised and slightly bent, and its back legs extended, as if jumping towards the right. The centaur's right arm, positioned on the left side of the drawing, is bent at the elbow, and he grips the shoe heel with his thumb and index finger. His left arm is extended forward, palm open and facing up. The background is shaded with a faded black, and a blue star is placed in the top left corner above the centaur. In the foreground, at the bottom of the drawing, the word “Tacchi” is centered in bold gray type. Directly below it, the text “Marca Stella” appears, also centered but in blue, matching the color of the star. At the very bottom of the drawing, the word “Pirelli” is written in bold red, using a different typeface, with the top part of the "P" extending to match the full width of the word.

Design drawing, Tacchi Marca Stella Pirelli [Pirelli Star Brand Heels], c. 1930
Studio Tytan, Trieste, Italy, designer
Gouache and graphite on paper
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XX1990.3277

This bronze medal features a centaur—a mythical creature with a human upper body and a horse-like lower body—walking while holding a cornucopia. The centaur is shown in profile from the left side and spans the full height of the medal. He has a long beard and is depicted mid-stride, with his left hind leg slightly bent. The human torso is muscular and well-defined, standing out against the darker tones of the horse body. The centaur’s horse half is detailed with a smooth coat, and his long, flowing tail has textured details. A variety of fruits and leaves spill from the downward-tilted cornucopia, falling beneath the centaur's hooves into the foreground. To the right of the centaur, a small winged child, with short curly hair and dressed in a thin gown, stands on the centaur's back. The child pulls the centaur back using a rope adorned with five small tassels.

Medal, c. 1915
Alfons Feuerle (German, 1885–1968), designer
Carl Poellath, Schrobenhausen, Germany, maker
Bronze
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 86.1.341

In this colorful gouache painting, a centaur plays a harp before a sphinx-like creature. The centaur, positioned on the left, is depicted in a light, washed-out plum color, while the sphinx-like creature is on the right, with dark brown skin, blue eyes, and blue lips. The centaur holds a yellow-orange and brown harp, lowering his head slightly as he plucks the instrument’s strings. The sphinx sits on a dark purple rectangular slab of stone, with several steps painted in shades of purple and blue leading up to it. It has a human head, adorned with an orange crown and a dark beard, the torso of a human female, and the body of a lion. Just to the right of the image’s center, two nude human figures with medium brown skin stand side-by-side, facing away from us. Their bodies lean left, with arms bent at their sides and legs slightly bent at the knees as if in mid-step. In the foreground, to the right, is a prominent blue, tree-like shape made up of small circular elements arranged in branching patterns. Behind the sphinx, in the middle ground, stand three figures in long flowing garments, decorated with white flowers that have a small blue dot at their center, set against a yellow background. The landscape in the background includes stylized architectural elements such as pointed towers in orange and red tones, set against a light blue sky with pale orange and yellow circular motifs. The scene is framed by a border featuring geometric shapes, zigzags, and repeating patterns in purple, red, yellow, and green.Painting, Sphinx, 1912
Álmos Jaschik (Hungarian, 1885–1950)
Budapest, Hungary
Gouache and graphite on paperboard
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, TD1992.51A smiling face appears on the surface of this ceramic pitcher. The side facing us is painted dark brown, while the area around the face is left unpainted, revealing the stark white color of the ceramic. The face is large and rounded, featuring wide, oval eyes, a dark brown line for a nose, and a curved mouth. Two horns protrude from the top of the head. Below the face, the neck and shoulders are white and centered at the base of the pitcher, adorned with thick, crossed dark brown lines. To our right, the handle of the pitcher has spots of dark brown paint along its length but remains mostly white. The mouth and rim at the top of the pitcher are painted dark brown, while the interior retains the same white color as the ceramic.

Pitcher, Têtes [Heads], 1956
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), designer
Atelier Madoura, Vallauris, France, manufacturer
Glazed earthenware, oxidized paraffin, enamel
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 85.7.214

Unicorns

Among the most popular mythical creatures, the unicorn is universally beloved. Known for its rarity, the unicorn today symbolizes uniqueness and sought-after success. Even the earliest recorded accounts of unicorns in ancient Greek and Babylonian societies perceived the unicorn in a positive light—standing for mysticism, magic, health, and purity, with its horn believed to possess incredible healing powers. Unicorns, along with winged flying horses, appear in several sacred accounts, including the Old Testament and the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey, which describes the prophet's ride on a winged horse-like creature with wings. In medieval times, the unicorn became an allegory for Christ, often depicted surrounded by pure virgins, who were said to be the only ones capable of luring the elusive beasts.

Scotland adopted the unicorn symbol around the 12th century, embracing a legend suggesting that only a king could capture a unicorn. Scottish nobility claimed the creature as a symbol of purity and power, reproducing the unicorn on coins and coats of arms. Since then, it has become the country's national animal. The unicorn pairs with a lion on the United Kingdom's coat of arms, which is pictured on a brochure for the British Pavilion at the New York World's Fair in 1939, with the unicorn representing Scotland and the lion representing England on the opposite side.

A unicorn is depicted in raised relief at the center of this circular silver medal. The unicorn is shown in profile, facing left, with a prominent horn extending from its forehead. Its body features a flowing mane and tail, and all four hooves are on the ground, with its legs slightly bent. The medal has a smooth, polished metallic surface. The background is plain, with thin tree branches visible behind the unicorn’s legs at the bottom. The edges of the medal are slightly raised, creating a defined border around the central image. The overall color of the medal is a uniform metallic silver.

Medal, 1905
Maximilian Dasio (German, 1865–1954), designer
Carl Poellath, Schrobenhausen, Germany, maker
Silver
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 86.1.153

In this vertical illustration, a unicorn sits on its hind legs, supporting the top edge of a crest with its front legs. The unicorn is shown in profile, facing left, and is white with a gold horn, hooves, and mane. Its body is slender and muscular, featuring a long mane that flows down its neck and a tail that extends upward behind it. Around the base of the unicorn’s neck is a gold collar shaped like a crown, with a gold chain that wraps around its chest and back, cascading down its side. The crest the unicorn holds is squared at the top and rounded at the bottom, framed by a white decorative border outlined in black and featuring a light blue dashed pattern on the inside. The center of the crest has a yellow-gold background and displays a lion-like creature in red-orange with a black outline. Surrounding the lion is a decorative border consisting of two red-orange lines with a yellow-gold line in between, adorned with eight decorative flourishes around the perimeter. The unicorn grips the crest with both front hooves, holding it in place. Both the unicorn and the crest rest on a deep red rug decorated with wavy red-orange lines. The background of the illustration is the color of the paper.

Illustration, from The Queen's Beasts, 1953
Cecil Keeling (British, 1912–1976), illustrator
Newman Neame, Limited, London, England, publisher
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 85.2.109

A unicorn, a mythical creature resembling a horse with a single horn on its forehead, is depicted in profile facing right with its head slightly raised in this vertical illustration. The body of the unicorn is outlined with clear, black lines and is positioned in the center. Its long, spiraling horn extends upward from the forehead, pointed towards the upper left corner of the illustration. The bottom half of the unicorn’s body blends in with the decorative pattern of the background, which consists of swirled lines both in black and a lighter beige tone. A thick, beige undecorated border surrounds the unicorn and creates a box around the patterned background.

Illustration, from The Kangaroo and Others Too, 1939
George Verdack, Emily Jurczak, Donald Stuart, editors
Steinmetz High School, Chicago, Illinois, publisher
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XB1990.314

In this vertical book illustration, the British royal coat of arms is displayed above the date “1939” and the text “The British Pavilion.” The coat of arms features a crowned shield supported by two animals: a lion on the left and a unicorn on the right. The lion, facing forward, has a mane and a crown, while the unicorn rears up on its hind legs, sporting a long, spiraling horn and a crown-shaped collar with an attached chain. Both animals are dark blue, outlined in white. The shield is divided into four quadrants, each with a different emblem: the top-left quadrant shows three lions walking with one paw raised; the top-right quadrant features a lion standing on its hind legs within a decorative background; the bottom-left quadrant displays a harp with detailed strings; and the bottom-right quadrant again features three lions walking. Surrounding the coat of arms is a dark blue belt inscribed with "HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE" (“Shame on him who thinks evil of it”). Below the shield, a ribbon bears the motto "DIEU ET MON DROIT" (“God and my right”). Directly beneath the coat of arms, the numbers "1939" are printed in dark blue, featuring intricate decorative details and a drop shadow for a three-dimensional effect, against a dark blue background with small brick-like rectangles at a 45-degree angle. Below that, a red oval shape contains the title "THE BRITISH PAVILION" in cream-colored, stylized lettering. The bottom of the oval has a protruding edge for added depth. The background behind the red oval features red and white striped lines, with red and white Ben-Day dots covering parts of the white stripes.

Book, Guide to the Pavilion of the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the British Colonial Empire, 1939
Eric Ravilious (British, 1903–1942), cover illustrator
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XC1991.801

Phoenixes and Firebirds

The phoenix is often a symbol of renewal, endings and beginnings, death and rebirth. Appearing first in Ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, the phoenix was associated with the sun. At the end of the phoenix's life cycle, its nest would ignite in flames in the heat of the sun's rays, and a new phoenix would be born from the ashes. If you're familiar with the Harry Potter series, you'll remember the famed wizard Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, as a benevolent bird that comes to Harry's aid multiple times in the throes of danger, marking the end of a story arc and the beginning of a new adventure.

The firebird, a similar, yet distinct legendary creature, is rooted in Russian folklore. The dazzling ballet The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu) by Russian composer Igor Stravinski, which debuted in Paris in the 1910s with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, popularized a fairytale about a firebird with flame-like feathers and magical powers. In the story, the firebird saves the protagonist in gratitude for sparing its life on a hunting trip. This ballet, along with other tales of the firebird from the time, likely inspired René Lalique's glass centerpiece, featuring an elegant female figure with an enormous plume and wings that evokes the mythical bird.

A phoenix with slightly outstretched wings and flared legs is suspended in the central emblem of this glazed ceramic vase. The vase itself has a bulbous body and narrow, elongated neck with two sculpted red lions symmetrically positioned on either side of the neck, facing outward. The vase is predominately red and white, with intricate geometric and floral patterns throughout. The neck features elongated vertical panels, each filled with a detailed vine or leaf motif, framed by solid red borders. The base continues the theme of grid-like patterns and stylized floral designs, with more white shapes against a red background, echoing the motifs from the body of the vessel. The body is adorned with alternating sections of diamond-shaped grids filled with small, white floral motifs. Between these grid sections are curved, leaf-like shapes, each filled with similar white, floral designs. The central emblem on the vase’s body depicts the phoenix within a hexagonal frame, its stylized feathers spread symmetrically along the wings and tai. The phoenix's body and heads are rendered in a solid, dark red, while its outline and detailing are in white, contrasting against the red background of the surrounding patterns. The base of the vase is flared, continuing the geometric design, with a blend of circular and diamond shapes. The ceramic of the vase has a glossy finish, giving it a reflective quality.

Vase, c. 1890
William De Morgan (British, 1839–1917), designer
Ulisse Cantagalli (Italian, 1839–1901), maker
Glazed earthenware, luster
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 85.7.46

A phoenix spreads its wings wide at the top of this poster. The bird’s body is white and elongated, and its feathers are depicted with gray shading and flowing lines, its wings turned slightly upward and in flight. Red flame-like details decorate the ends of the phoenix’s long tail feathers, and two words "RENOVATUS" and "RENOVABO(?)", written in a red, flame-like font, are spelled between the feathers of both the left and right wings. The head of the phoenix is turned to the side, with an elongated beak and sharp eyes, and a plume of gray feathers extends from behind its back. The background behind the phoenix is black with red flames, and under the phoenix in the center of the poster is a large fire. The fire has a red border and a white and gray interior, which depicts a cityscape behind a body of water containing several steamships silhouetted in black. The smoke emanating from the top of the ships rises and becomes part of the gray shading of the large fire. Below the water and ships in the foreground is the outline of the interior edge of a boat, where the following Dutch text is centered and written in red and white bold lettering: “VERZEKERING MAATSCHAPPU”, “DE NEDERLANDSCHE”, “PHOENIX”, “ROTTERDAM WUNHAVEN-153”, “VOLTEEKEND KAPITAAL FL: 1.395.000—”, “BRAND-INBRAAK-ONGEVALLEN-TRANSPORT-”, “VERZEKERINO”.Poster, De Nederlandsche Phoenix, c. 1925
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Offset color lithograph
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, XX1990.2800A woman dressed in a bird-like costume dances at the center of this illustration. The dancer, identified by the text at the bottom as "Xenia Maklezowa in 'L'Oiseau de Feu'," is posed with one leg raised behind her and both arms outstretched. She has light skin and is drawn using a sepia tone for her clothing. Her costume consists of a sleeveless bodice and a knee-length skirt, both adorned with circular floral motifs. The skirt appears voluminous with layers and features large feather-like decorations along the edges. The dancer also wears a large, ornate headdress with intricate designs and curved plumes and feathers that extend upward, fanning out behind her head. Her facial expression is serene, with her head slightly tilted back and eyes closed. Her ballet shoes and the lower part of her legs are visible, with her left foot pointed and her right foot raised, capturing the sense of movement. The background is the plain, beige color of the paper.

Illustration (detail), "Xenia Maklezowa in 'L'oiseau de feu'," from Serge de Diaghileff's Ballet Russe, 1916
Metropolitan Ballet Company, Inc., New York City, publisher
The Sackett & Wilhelms Company, Brooklyn, New York, printer
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection of Decorative and Propaganda Arts, Promised Gift, WC2002.5.3.51.1

A woman with a human upper body and a bird-like lower body spreads her feathers in the etched design of this glass centerpiece. The glass piece has a semi-circular shape, flat on the bottom with a rounded top, and is mounted on a small, circular base. The woman depicted has large, outstretched bird wings with detailed feather etchings. The wings are spread wide, extending almost to the edges of the glass, and the tail feathers curve downwards, following the shape of the sculpture. The woman’s face is seen in profile view and turned to our left, while her nude upper body faces us slightly turned to the left. Her arms are stretched out in front of her, with hands resembling bird talons grasping a curved, branch-like structure drawn along the central bottom edge of the sculpture. Large, curved feathers fan out behind the woman in the background, some bending forward into the foreground. The glass has a smooth, transparent finish, with frosted, slightly opaque details that emphasize the etched portions of the sculpture.

Centerpiece, Oiseau de feu [Firebird], c. 1925
René Lalique (French, 1860–1945), designer
SARL René Lalique & Cie, Wingen-Sur-Moder, France, manufacturer
Glass
The Wolfsonian–FIU, The Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Collection, 84.8.113

Want to see more? Catch a sneak peek of objects that will be on display during our October programs!