{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O145614"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O145614/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LJ5313/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LJ5313/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LJ5313","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O145614/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O145614","accessionNumber":"RENIER.274","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"<u>Sing a Song of Sixpence</u>","type":"popular title"}],"summaryDescription":"Ernest Nister (1842-1909) began his publishing career in 1885 when he acquired a lithographic workshop in Nürnberg and printed books for London publishers. In 1888 he became a publisher in his own right with offices at 24 St. Bride Street, London. He appointed the writer and editor, Robert Ellice Mack, as director. \r\n\r\nNister specialised in high quality colour printing for children in the last quarter of the 19th century. Movable books with various mechanisms became his speciality after 1890 (when be published his first stand-up book) but he also produced numerous picture books, annuals, poetry, nursery rhymes, calendars and greetings cards. He worked with a core of writers, including Clifton Bingham and Robert Ellice Mack, and illustrators, in particular Eveline Lance, Harriett M. Bennett, Edith A. Cubitt and Rosa Petherick.\r\n\r\nThis illustration was published by Nister in his 'untearable' book, <u>Nursery rhymes and pictures</u> (no. 870a), printed in Bavaria and published in New York by E. P. Dutton & Co.","physicalDescription":"Pen and ink and watercolour drawing on stiff card depicting the nursery rhyme, <u>Sing a Song of Sixpence</u>. A maid wearing red and blue hangs washing on a line. The line is made of vertical branches set in the grass supporting a length of rope. A blackbird flies overhead, about to peck off the maid's nose. The white sheets hanging on the line have yellow crowns in the bottom right corners; there is also a pair of stockings hanging in the middle of the line. A basket of washing sits on the ground to the girl's left.  In the background is a vegetable patch and garden brick wall. The drawing is signed by the artist in the bottom right corner. Mounted on card.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Cubitt, Edith Alice","id":"A21304"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Nister, Ernest","id":"A21293"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"x32600"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"card","id":"x30344"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"pen and ink","id":"x30618"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink and watercolour on card","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Books","id":"THES48986"},{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"National Art Library","id":"THES271541"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"NAL","id":"THES48605"},"images":["2019LJ5313"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES317725"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"illustrations","id":"AAT15578"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1900","earliest":"1895-01-01","latest":"1904-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Donated by Anne Renier and F.G. Renier.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"345","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"382","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed by the artist on the bottom right corner of the drawing","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Bookplate on verso reads: 'From the Library of Anne Renier and F.G. Renier'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Initialled by Anne Renier in pencil on verso: 'AR'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in ink on verso: 'E.A. Cubitt'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in blue crayon on verso: ' 8323  XXIV', '2' and '12/12'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in pencil on verso: 'Four & twenty blackbirds'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Drawn by Edith A. Cubitt for an Ernest Nister publication, ca.1900. Bequeathed to the V&A in 1970 by Anne and Fernand G. Renier as part of the Renier Collection.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour drawing by Edith A. Cubitt, ca.1900; commissioned by Ernest Nister.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"girls","id":"AAT247581"},{"text":"blackbirds","id":"x41737"},{"text":"stockings","id":"AAT46088"},{"text":"servants","id":"AAT25874"},{"text":"baskets","id":"AAT194498"},{"text":"laundry","id":"x34871"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Commissioned by Ernest Nister.\r\n\r\nIllustrating the nursery rhyme:\r\n\r\n'Sing a song of sixpence, \r\nA pocket full of rye, \r\nFour and twenty blackbirds, \r\nBaked in a pie. \r\nWhen the pie was opened, \r\nThe birds began to sing. \r\nWasn't that a dainty dish \r\nTo set before the king? \r\n\r\nThe king was in his counting house, \r\nCounting out his money. \r\nThe queen was in the parlour, \r\nEating bread and honey. \r\nThe maid was in the garden, \r\nHanging out the clothes, \r\nWhen down came a blackbird \r\nAnd pecked off her nose!'"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["RENIER.274"],"accessionNumberNum":"274","accessionNumberPrefix":"RENIER","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Previous Renier Collection pressmark","id":"THES50312"},"number":"Nister"},{"type":{"text":"Previous National Art Library pressmark","id":"THES57318"},"number":"R(2)134"},{"type":{"text":"Previous Renier Collection pressmark","id":"THES50312"},"number":"REN DRAWERS 2.D"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-12","recordCreationDate":"2008-02-19","availableToBook":false}}