The Political Peri
Dalziel, engraver
Fun 4 (31 August 1867): 260
Below the main caption appears “Joy, joy for ever! My task is done — the bill is pass’d!”
Disraeli appears as a Peri, a fantastic creature originally from Persian mythology somewhat like a fairy. Various sources describe peris as “winged fairy-like spirits ranking between angels and evil spirits” (Wikipedia) and “a supernatural being in Persian folklore descended from fallen angels and excluded from paradise until penance is accomplished” (Merriam-Webster). The comedy comes from placing Disraeli’s visage in place of what one would expect on an exquisite fairy. — George P. Landow
Source: Hathi Digital Library Trust web version of a copy in the University of Minnesota library.
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