diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/stateful_image.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/stateful_image.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f00129a4d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/stateful_image.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <map>
+
+#include <cairomm/cairomm.h>
+
+#include "canvas/item.h"
+
+class StatefulImage : public class Item
+{
+  private:
+    class State {
+	ImageHandle image;
+    };
+    
+    typedef Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::ImageSurface> ImageHandle;
+    typedef std::vector<State> Images;
+
+  public:
+
+    StatefulImage (const XMLNode&);
+    ~StatefulImage ();
+
+    bool set_state (States::size_type);
+    void set_text (const std::string&);
+
+    void render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>) const;
+    void compute_bounding_box () const;
+
+    static void set_image_search_path (const std::string&);
+
+  private:
+    States                  _states;
+    Images::size_type       _state;
+    std::string             _text;
+    Pango::FontDescription* _font;
+    uint32_t                _text_color;
+    double                  _text_x;
+    double                  _text_y;
+
+    int load_states (const XMLNode&);
+    
+    typedef std::map<std::string,Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::ImageSurface> > ImageCache;
+    static ImageCache _image_cache;
+    static PBD::Searchpath _image_search_path;
+
+    static ImageHandle find_image (const std::string&);
+};
diff --git a/libs/canvas/stateful_image.cc b/libs/canvas/stateful_image.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fb609cfb28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/canvas/stateful_image.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+#include <string>
+
+#include "pbd/file_utils.h"
+
+std::string StatefulImage::_image_search_path;
+StatefulImage::ImageCache StatefulImage::_image_cache;
+PBD::Searchpath StatefulImage::_image_search_path;
+
+StatefulImage::StatefulImage (const XMLNode& node)
+	: _state (0)
+	, font_description (0)
+	, _text_x (0)
+	, _text_y (0)
+{
+	if (load_states (node)) {
+		throw failed_constructor();
+	}
+}
+
+StatefulImage::~StatefulImage()
+{
+	delete font_description;
+}
+
+void
+StatefulImage::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> context) const
+{
+	if (_states.empty() || _state >= _states.size()) {
+		return;
+	}
+	ImageHandle image = _states[_state].image;
+	Rect self = item_to_window (Rect (0, 0, image->get_width(), image->get_height()));
+
+	boost::optional<Rect> draw = self.intersection (area);
+	
+	if (!draw) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* move the origin of the image to the right place on the surface
+	   ("window" coordinates) and render it.
+	*/
+	context->set_source (image, self.x0, self.y0);
+	context.rectangle (draw->x0, draw->y0, draw->width(), draw->height());
+	context->fill ();
+
+	if (_text) {
+		Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout> layout = Pango::Layout::create (context);
+
+		layout->set_text (_text);
+
+		if (_font_description) {
+			layout->set_font_description (*_font_description);
+		}
+
+		// layout->set_alignment (_alignment);
+		set_source_rgba (context, _text_color);
+		context->move_to (_text_x, _text_y);
+		layout->show_in_cairo_context (context);
+	}
+}
+
+void
+StatefulImage::compute_bounding_box () const
+{
+	if (!_states.empty()) {
+
+		/* all images are assumed to be the same size */
+
+		_bounding_box = Rect (0, 0, _states[0].image->get_width(), _states[0].image->get_height());
+	}
+}
+
+int
+StatefulImage::load_states (const XMLNode& node)
+{
+	const XMLNodeList& nodes (node.children());
+	
+	_states.clear ();
+	
+	for (XMLNodeList::const_iterator i = nodes.begin(); i != nodes.end(); ++i) {
+		State s;
+		const XMLProperty* prop;
+		
+		if ((prop = (*i)->property ("id")) == 0) {
+			error << _("no ID for state") << endmsg;
+			continue;
+		}
+		sscanf (prop->value().c_str(), "%ud", &s.id);
+
+		if ((prop = (*i)->property ("image")) == 0) {
+			error << _("no image for state") << endmsg;
+			continue;
+		}
+		
+		if ((s.image = find_image (prop->value())) == 0) {
+			error << string_compose (_("image %1 not found for state"), prop->value()) << endmsg;
+			continue;
+		}
+		
+		if (_states.size() < s.id) {
+			_states.reserve (s.id);
+		}
+
+		_states[s.id] = s;
+	}
+
+
+}
+
+StatefulImage::ImageHandle
+StatefulImage::find_image (const std::string& name)
+{
+	ImageCache::iterator i;
+
+	if ((i = _image_cache.find (name)) != _image_cache.end()) {
+		return *i;
+	}
+
+	std::string path;
+
+	if (!find_file_in_search_path (_image_search_path, name, path)) {
+		error << string_compose (_("Image named %1 not found"),
+					 name) << endmsg;
+		return ImageHandle();
+	}
+	
+	return Cairo::Image::create_from_file (path);
+}
+
+void
+StatefulImage::set_image_search_path (const std::string& path)
+{
+	_image_search_path = SearchPath (path);
+}
+
+void
+StatefulImage::set_text (const std::string& text)
+{
+	_text = text;
+
+	/* never alters bounding box */
+
+	redraw ();
+}
+
+void
+StatefulImage::set_state (States::size_type n)
+{
+	begin_change ();
+
+	_state = n;
+	_need_redraw = true;
+	_bounding_box_dirty = true;
+
+	end_change ();
+}