Figure descriptions
The poem title “To a Child of Quality 5 Years Old” appears at the top of the page
on a plate with a double-ruled border.
Sparse flowers and leaves decorate the top, bottom, and left-side edges of the plate.
The illustration extends to the left and below
the illustrated title, where four adult men gather on the exterior steps of a building.
One man sits and strums a guitar. Two of the
other men bow: one does so while holding his hand to his chest and the other does
the same with his hat. All four men look pointedly
toward a young girl at the right of the page, where the illustration continues. The
girl sits on a stone ledge, which is decorated
with a carved dragon. She holds an apple in her right hand and doll under her left
arm. Her hair is tied in a bow. A section of a
stone wall and tree branches are visible above and behind the girl. Part of the poem
text appears to be let in to the white space of
the illustration. 1/2 page.
Four women gather next to a bed. Three of the women stand and examine a doll that
they hold among themselves. A dress lies on
the bed behind them. The fourth woman sits on the floor holding a child in her arms.
1/6 page.
An elderly woman is depicted in profile view from the shoulders up. She wears a head
scarf that is tied in a large bow below
her chin. 1/8 page.
A woman wearing a long flowing dress stands in profile view. She drops three pieces
of torn paper from her outstretched arm.
1/4 page.
An elderly man stands and supports himself with a cane. He wears a large feathered
hat, a tunic, and a cape. He appears to
smile slightly at the viewer. 1/4 page.
A man and a woman gather beside a curtained window. They are depicted from the shoulders
up. The woman smiles while leaning
her back against the window beam. The man smiles while staring back at her. The man
has a moustache and wears a large hat. 1/8
page.
