Handkerchief of printed silk, The Oxford Almanac, engraved by Michael Burghers, England, 1717Handkerchief of printed silk. An Oxford Almanac with engraved scene. In the foreground, Minerva in armour holds a shield and lance, with an owl on the cloud beside her, and she converses with the Nine Muses. They are seated to the right on rocky ground from which gurgles the spring created by Pegasus. In front of them sits a youth, possibly Apollo, as a lyre-like instrument stands near him. To the left and in the background, women carry baskets and urns on their heads and they make their way towards a temple on a rocky promonotory approached by a narrowbridge of rock. On this bridge stands Hercules. From the top of the temple range clouds holding the gods of Olympus with, above them in the centre, Zeus with his eagle. Mercury dives down from the clouds at the left.
Below this scene is 'THE OXFORD ALMANACK for the Year of our Lord God, CIDDCCXVII' with 'THE REGAL TABLE SINCE THE CONQUEST' and 'The chief ports in or about ENGLAND' in tables to either side of the Almanack's titlepiece and above the Almanack proper.
The engraving is printed in black on a cream ground, leaving a plain border of 3 to 3.5 inches before the lilac 0.5 inch edge of the handkerchief. There is a narrow selvedge at the two sides.