Anonymous - Gilles de Binche - 1940s

Lot of two related small posters (chromolithographs), dating from around 1940, featuring carnival-goers posing as Gilles of Binche. The Gilles (one image with 3 adult men with a boy and one image of a man alone) are depicted in full regalia with all the paraphernalia of their outfit, complete with an oranges basket and one orange ready to throw in the right hand. Two very fine period documents.
Condition: B+; image entirely intact, the top corners on the backside have been reinforced with acid-free restoration tape.
Shipping: in a sturdy envelope with track & trace.

Binche is the birthplace of one of the oldest and most characteristic carnival customs of Wallonia... Its reputation has spread far beyond our borders and fascinates audiences around the world. This reputation is justified by the originality and authenticity of Binche's customs, which have remained faithful to the traditional dates of the "jours gras" (Fat Days) and to the almost unchanging order of the preparation of the festival within families and the carnival associations since autumn. (Michel Revelard, Le Carnaval de Binche).

The origin of the Binche Carnival seems difficult to ascertain with objectivity and certainty. Historians and folklorists who have been analyzing it for more than half a century are still cautious in their work, due to the absence of elements dating back further than the end of the 18th century in which there is clear reference to "Gilles", and due to the poor quality of the old material evidence.

To make the matter even more complicated, many legends, sometimes linked to a mythical or historical figure, undoubtedly overshadow reality with more glorious, romantic, or fantastic appearances, but the true origin remains quite mysterious... (Christel Deliège).

The most famous legend is that of the descendant of the Incas, a tale invented in the 19th century by journalist Adolphe Delmée. These Incas appeared in traditional dress during the celebrations that Mary of Hungary organized in 1549 to welcome her brother, Charles V, and her nephew, Philip II. The people of Binche admired their colorful and exotic costumes and kept this procession alive in the city. This far-fetched hypothesis has enticed the actors of the Binche Carnival and continues to lure them, because it affords them a rather flattering historical character. (Samuel Glotz, Le Carnaval de Binche).