Bertuch "Nais Serpentina" Late 18th C Hand-colored Copper Engraving make-do game and the spring is springy

and the spring is springy

those with mouth open were shot holding it aloft

This is a charming antique schoolhouse slate chalkboard with a wood frame

At least this is what I think is going on here

and now one of my very favorite finds ever

Bertuch "Nais Serpentina" Late 18th C Hand-colored Copper Engraving make-do game and the spring is springyThis c. 1798 engraving comes from a volume published by Friedrich Justin Bertuch, (1747 1822) famous German publisher, patron of the arts and all around super interesting character worth a quick (or long!) search. Between 1790 and 1830 Betruch printed the "Bilderbuch fr Kinder", appearing in 12 volumes, and including color engravings of all manner of living things, and some mythic ones, too! These I think are renderings of pre or just hatched snakes