Late 19th - Liebig Meat Extract Chromo Card - La Cigale et La Fourmi Fable Advertising - Vintage Ephemera Collectible

This is a vintage Liebig Meat Extract chromo card, part of a collectible advertising series popular in the late 19th century.

The front of each card depicts a scene inspired by Jean de La Fontaine's fable, 'The Cicada and the Ant,' illustrating the cicada's predicament during winter. A young woman, representing the cicada, is shown in a snowy landscape with a Liebig meat extract jar overturned beside her, conveying a sense of need or desperation. The text 'Véritable Extrait de Viande LIEBIG' (Genuine Liebig Meat Extract) is displayed at the top.

The bottom of the illustration includes the French inscription: 'Quand la bise fut venue, elle se trouva fort dépourvue.' (When the north wind came, she found herself very short of supplies.), directly referencing the fable.

The reverse side of the cards contains various recipes, promoting the culinary uses of Liebig's extract and solidifying the brand's presence in households of the era.