Potter & Potter Auctions
Live Auction

The Ricky Jay Collection

Sat, Feb 25, 2023 12:00PM EST
Lot 315

SKINKER, Tannakin. A Certaine Relation of the Hog-Faced Gen...

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
SKINKER, Tannakin. A Certaine Relation of the Hog-Faced Gentlewoman Called Mistress Tannakin. London: Printed by J.O. ? [ca. 1816?]. Wood engraved portrait of the pig-faced lady to title page, headpiece. Eight unnumbered leaves, A-B4; 4to. Armorial bookplate. Text block generally clean with scattered wear, faint foxing and short tears. Contemporary boards, disbound. Scarce. A nineteenth century edition by John Sturt, the ?facsimilist? who produced at least 17 similar volumes, this being a handsome recreation of a rare tract first published in 1640. The slim work describes the life of a woman ?bewitched in her mothers wombe in the yeare 1618?? having been born with a pig-like snout after her mother turned away a beggar woman who was also a witch. Miss Tannakin wore fancy clothes and ate from a sliver trough, but could only communicate in grunts, though she was apparently able to write with some facility. A watermark to the final leaf reveals the year of manufacture of the paper of this tract as 1804.