07/11/2026
🎭 THE MYSTERY OF THE MASKED LION TAMER 🦁
Paris, circa 1895.
A beautiful and rather extraordinary piece of circus history.
She was known only as Countess X — La Dompteuse Masquée.
Dressed in an elegant black corset, high boots and a mysterious black mask, she performed among lions and tigers at the famous Cirque d’Hiver in Paris.
But who was she? A genuine aristocrat concealing her identity, or a brilliant piece of theatrical publicity?
An account published in The Sketch in 1896 reveals something even more intriguing.
Despite fifteen months of training, her animals apparently remained decidedly wild. She carried a whip and a metal rod but reportedly never used either to strike them. Instead, she relied on her voice, a wooden shield and, remarkably, tickling the animals’ noses with her whip!
An extraordinary woman from an extraordinary age.
The poster was designed by J. Boichard during the golden age of the Parisian circus. Original examples are now exceptionally rare.
Our example is a rare 1970s reproduction, presented in an antique frame dating from around 1905, complete with its original glass.
It’s caused so much interest in our shop that we’ve decided to keep it in our collection.
We can, however, produce beautiful ultra-high-definition reproductions in various sizes and finishes, including a small number available with matching antique frames and their original glass.
On display at V & J Vintage by Design
Upstairs at Upstairs Downstairs Antiques, Faversham, Kent.
DM for details.
