This extremely rare, amusing papier mâché novelty features two pensioners sitting side by side on a bench, smoking and drinking. One is a Chelsea pensioner with one arm, wearing a red coat, with a pipe in his mouth, and holding a jug of ale. The other is a Greenwich pensioner with a wooden leg and wearing a tricorn hat. There is a hole cut into the back of each figure that houses a slide-in container (it is very rare for them still to be with the figures) for a smoking taper or pastille, so that the men appear to be smoking (both pipes are missing).English, circa 1800.These two characters are veterans from the Navy (the crab) and the Army (the red-coated lobster) featured in a song by Charles Dibdin. In this ‘Dick Dock, a tar in Greenwich moor’d’ (the ‘crab’) provokes the ‘lobster’ but is reconciled on discovering he once saved his life. A coloured etching of the same subject by Robert Dighton in 1801 was used to illustrate the two volumes ‘Descriptions of Battles by Sea and Land from the King’s Library at Greenwich in Chelsea, while another version from 1806 was inspired by Isaac Cruickshank’s etching of the same subject normally called ‘The Veterans.’ Papier mâché versions are extremely rare, not least because of the fragile and combustible nature of the material. This has a few areas of wear and minor damage consistent with age, but it is a miracle to have survived at all.All our items can be purchased directly from the product page via PAYPAL (scroll down for Blue PayPal Button) payment, or by contacting us directly if you would prefer to pay via a bank transfer.UK POSTAGE: Our items are professionally and securely packaged; please add £10 for small items, objets d'art (items that can fit into a 20cm x 20cm box), or £20 for anything larger (large vase, boxes, candlesticks, etc.). Paintings are £25 each to ship. If in doubt, please contact us. Thank you.Rest of the World Postage:For worldwide clients, please contact us for shipping costs. Our international deliveries are sent via either Parcelforce, FedEx, or UPS.All items purchased from The Art of Quality are covered under the Distance Selling Regulations, which give all buyers the right to cancel the purchase within 7 days after receipt of the item for a full refund less return transport costs for items received in the condition they were sent.In the rare event that items or packaging arrive damaged, please take photos on arrival; this will help with any insurance claims.Please note: The Art of Quality travels up and down the UK to be able to offer only the finest quality items for sale.Old-school values with a modern outlook, meaning our emphasis is always focused on providing a professional, efficient, and personal service, which is extended to all TAOQ clients.We ship globally (please inquire about shipping costs for any of our items).All items purchased are usually dispatched within 24–48 hours, following a cleared payment.Trad...