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Antique rectangular Papier mâché box decorated with a scene from the Robert Burns poem Tam O'Shanter. Tam is riding over the bridge of the river Doon on his mare Maggie, pursued by witches. He has just witnessed evil celebrations in the church and churchyard of Alloway. As he gallops away, one of the old hags grabs and tears off the tail of his horse. However he and his mare make it over the water to safety. A most unusual theme, rather too raw for Victorian sensitivities.
Origin: UK;  Circa: 1835 ; Materials:  papier mâché .

Size: 24 cm wide by 10 cm by 6.2 cm:  9.5  inches wide by  3.9  inches by  2.4 inches.

Condition: good overall;  see images
As each person has different criteria and antiques by their very nature have wear  please enlarge the images and ask for extra information as needed. 

Keywords: papier mâché, Robert Burns, witches, painted, japanned,  Tam O'Shanter,  Victorian, 

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Tam is riding over the bridge of the river Doon on his mare Maggie, pursued by witches. He has just witnessed evil celebrations in the church and churchyard of Alloway. As he gallops away, one of the old hags grabs and tears off the tail of his horse. However he and his mare make it over the water to safety.

See: http://www.robertburns.org.uk/Assets/Poems_Songs/tamoshanter.htm 

"Weel mounted on his gray mare, Meg--
A better never lifted leg--
Tam skelpit on thro' dub and mire;
Despisin' wind and rain and fire.
Whiles holding fast his gude blue bonnet;
Whiles crooning o'er some auld Scots sonnet;
Whiles glowring round wi' prudent cares,
Lest bogles catch him unawares:
Kirk-Alloway was drawing nigh,
Whare ghaists and houlets nightly cry."

"But here my Muse her wing maun cour;
Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r;
To sing how Nannie lap and flang,
(A souple jade she was, and strang),
And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd,
And thought his very een enrich'd;
Even Satan glowr'd, and fidg'd fu' fain,
And hotch'd and blew wi' might and main;
Till first ae caper, syne anither,
Tam tint his reason ' thegither,
And roars out, "Weel done, Cutty-sark!"
And in an instant all was dark:
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied."

Robert Burns 1759-1796.

 

"When Out the Hellish Legion Sallied "

A most unusual theme, rather too raw for Victorian sensitivities.

"And in an instant all was dark:
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied."