Circus, Sideshow & Oddities
Sat, Jun 26, 2021 12:00PM EDT
Lot 438
TOFT, Mary (1701?1763). Mary Tofts ?The Pretend Rabbit Bree...
Estimate: $60 - $90
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 |
TOFT, Mary (1701?1763). Mary Tofts ?The Pretend Rabbit Breeder? Portrait Engraving. Circa 1820. Hand?colored engraving sculpted by Maddocks after a portrait painted in 1727. Framed, 11 x 9 ??. A London journal reported that Mary gave birth to a creature ?resembling? a rabbit and was blamed on the theory of maternal impressions? a child resembling whatever the mother thought of at the time of conception. Toft confessed to the hoax and admitted that following her miscarriage, she had persuaded a friend to insert parts of a dead cat and the head of a rabbit into her womb while her cervix was still dilated.
