Talkative Beasts

Two mots-images by Jean Alessandrini, thanks to design et typo

Combining animals with letters is an old idea, but still as fun as always,

and open to endless variations. Today's selection includes both 

hand-lettered and typographic creatures, and even three-dimensional ones.

Ancient Chinese figure-inscription of an Ox designed to discourage people from eating meat

 and The Bear by Johann Leonhard Frisch, c.1700, thanks to Retro Graphic Design +

Ernst Keller, 1949

 Tom Carnase via the Graphic Design Archive Online

U&lc vol 1

Lisl Weil, Owl and other scrambles, 1980, thanks to Curio Books

Fefe Talavera

Jeremy Pettis, from 26 types of animals

Ivan Alexandrov

Sergio Carnevali

Roberto de Vicq de Cumptic, Bembo's Zoo

Isidro Ferrer

Michael Johnson at Almost extinct, thanks to Junkculture

Sarah King, Night Trout

Visit this previous post to see some examples 

of zoomorphic calligraphy in the Islamic tradition.

Polish Papers

One of the folk crafts that I love the most is decorative papercutting,

an art form which has evolved into various unique styles in different areas of the world. 

From Chinese Jan Zhi to Swiss and German Scherenschnitte, to Mexican Papel Picado,

I enjoy them all, and hope in time to feature each style on Animalarium.

Image from the beautiful Polish blog Cebrita.

Polish Wycinanki is one of the most colorful and charming papercutting traditions.

They became popular around the mid-1800's, and were used by peasants 

to decorate the whitewashed walls, furniture and wooden ceiling beams of their cottages, 

or to give as gifts. The intricate decorations are formed by multiple layers of colored paper 

which are folded, cut, torn, and sometimes embossed to create stylized patterns. 

The subjects represented are peacocks, roosters and other birds, 

as well as flowers and annual festivities. 

Styles vary by region; the most basic is the single color tradition from the Kurpie district.

The multicolor Lowicz Wycinanki developed in the more prosperous region west of Warsaw. 

These elegant, elaborately cut and arranged paper overlays were displayed tandem style 

over the windows, doorways, and walls of rural homes.  

image from Lowicz Wycinanki gallery at www.perfekt.krakow.pl

Design from Kickcan and Conkers.

One of the few books about Wycinanki available on amazon. 

A contemporary Wycinanki inspired decoration by Grzegorz Wacławek

from Lou et Tom, a lovely blog about the adventures of a French family in Poland.

 Wycinanki Bird Cards at Pressbound.

A Gathering of Birds by Wycinanki artist Susan L. Throckmorton 

 Typographic Wycinanki illustration at Cebrita.