Preview
Accession Number
PAG2002.0137
Date Range
1790-1800
Description
Fragment of a Taufschein with bright red and yellow lettering and floral designs at top, inscription on back.
Dimensions in Inches
7 x 6 1/2
Dimensions in Centimeters
18 x 17
Materials
Watercolor and ink on laid paper
Technique
Drawn, Hand colored, Hand lettered
Category
Birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts-und-Taufschein)
Motifs
floral
Associated Names
Ehre Vater
Rights
Please contact the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College for permissions which fall outside of educational fair use.
Source
Ursinus College Library Special Collections and the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art
Provenance
Pennsylvania Folklife Society
Script/Text
Fraktur lettering, German script
Language
German
Transcription
Ehre V[ater]
Verso: Er ist gestor ben/den 10 Mai Im Jahr 1841/Er War alt 51 Jahr 1 Mo[nat]/und 22 tag er war in der eh 25/1 monet 3 tag und zeite 9 kin[der]/6 sene 3 töchter und er hinter [lässt]/[ t]öchter
Translation
Honor F[ather]
He died the 10th of May in the year 1841. he was 51 years 1 month and 22 days old. He was married 25 [years] 1 month 3 days and produced 9 children, 6 sons and 3 daughters and [left] behind [ ] daughter
Comment
This piece is attributed to the Ehre Vater Artist, who worked in the Carolinas as well as Pennsylvania. Many of his pieces begin with the line “Ehre Vater und Mutter” (Honor Father and Mother). The Ehre Vater artist worked with bold greens and reds and frequently added flowers, vines, animals, and compass designs to his pieces. There is some disagreement as to whether this piece was actually done by this artist or by someone closely copying him. Very similar coloring and detailing around the letters with small floral sprigs is found on other pieces by this artist. One of the questionable elements of this piece is the shakiness of the outline of the letters, particularly the capital V. This piece is believed to be part of a Taufschein because of the script on the back referring to the death and surviving progeny of a man, presumably for whom the Taufschein was created. It is common to find such information added to Taufscheine, often on the back but sometimes right on the front as well.
Condition
Good
File Format
.jpeg
Type
image
Keywords
fraktur, Pennsylvania German, Pennsylvania Dutch, folk art, illuminated manuscript, taufschein
Image Location
Rights Statement
No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
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