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Hand-Engraved Wooden Print Block - Lion + Sailor

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Colonial America

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Lion Devouring Shipwrecked Sailor Wood Printing Block

c. 1750, Hand-Engraved Original Wooden Printing Block, Lion Devouring a Shipwrecked Sailor, Split Extremely Fine.
This amazing hand engraved, wooden printing block, measuring 2.25" x 3," depicts a scene of a man being devoured by a wild lion, his ship grounded on the rocks with its mast at an angle, without sails, in the background. The man being attacked appears to be a Sailor given the popularity of shipwreck accounts in the 1700's and 1800's, this might be an illustration from some book on shipwrecks. The image is engraved inside an outer decorative oval, surrounded by an ornate, rectangular frame. The printing surface is in excellent condition, but the block has broken in two from age. There is also a trivial crack in the lower left corner. This is a wonderful example of early Colonial Maritime and Printing History.



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