A rare and desirable figure depicting a man in long coat and tall hat.
The man holds a box-like device in his left hand (possibly a hurdy gurdy - as Sotheby’s suggested in the case of a comparable example in 1999). His right hand is extended and holds four gold coins. The figure may be best described as a peddler or street musician, though its specific inspiration is not known.
This figure is typically described (and has been named by the Hardings) as ‘The Jewish Landlord’. The Hardings posit that this figure pairs with a figure of Mother Goose, and while this is contested there have also been suggestions that the ‘Jewish Landlord’ is based on a character from an operetta (though this operetta has never been named). This would place this figure in the canon of rare Staffordshire figures which have been thought to depict Jewish subjects. These figures (or perhaps, more accurately, their descriptions which have taken hold through assumption and repetition rather than proof) are largely based on antisemitic tropes of 19th century Britain, usually depicting their subjects in unflattering ways and engaging in commerce (in this case, rent collection or usury).
However, there is no primary evidence at all to indicate that there is any such character as ‘The Jewish Landlord’ or that this figure is intended to depict such a character. The Hardings’ theory is that this figure pairs with a Dudson Factory figure of Mother Goose. I am not aware of any figures of Jewish characters which have been confidently attributed to Dudson, and there are stylistic difference between this figure and the Mother Goose in question.
While the nature of the subject or the intention of the potter remains unclear, this is, nevertheless, a desirable and uncommon figure with real character and quality.
The figure presents well but it must be noted that the tops of the fingers of the right hand are missing and the break has been overpainted to conceal the loss. There is a stress crack on the base in front of the man’s feet, and a firing flaw on the left side of the hat. Despite these flaws, this is a highly sought after figure. This represents a good opportunity to obtain a rare figure at an accessible price which reflects its imperfections.
Reference: A. & N. Harding, Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835 - 1875: Book One, p. 321, fig. 1176
Height: 7.5”
Date: c. 1840
Provenance: The John Parrott Collection
A rare and desirable figure depicting a man in long coat and tall hat.
The man holds a box-like device in his left hand (possibly a hurdy gurdy - as Sotheby’s suggested in the case of a comparable example in 1999). His right hand is extended and holds four gold coins. The figure may be best described as a peddler or street musician, though its specific inspiration is not known.
This figure is typically described (and has been named by the Hardings) as ‘The Jewish Landlord’. The Hardings posit that this figure pairs with a figure of Mother Goose, and while this is contested there have also been suggestions that the ‘Jewish Landlord’ is based on a character from an operetta (though this operetta has never been named). This would place this figure in the canon of rare Staffordshire figures which have been thought to depict Jewish subjects. These figures (or perhaps, more accurately, their descriptions which have taken hold through assumption and repetition rather than proof) are largely based on antisemitic tropes of 19th century Britain, usually depicting their subjects in unflattering ways and engaging in commerce (in this case, rent collection or usury).
However, there is no primary evidence at all to indicate that there is any such character as ‘The Jewish Landlord’ or that this figure is intended to depict such a character. The Hardings’ theory is that this figure pairs with a Dudson Factory figure of Mother Goose. I am not aware of any figures of Jewish characters which have been confidently attributed to Dudson, and there are stylistic difference between this figure and the Mother Goose in question.
While the nature of the subject or the intention of the potter remains unclear, this is, nevertheless, a desirable and uncommon figure with real character and quality.
The figure presents well but it must be noted that the tops of the fingers of the right hand are missing and the break has been overpainted to conceal the loss. There is a stress crack on the base in front of the man’s feet, and a firing flaw on the left side of the hat. Despite these flaws, this is a highly sought after figure. This represents a good opportunity to obtain a rare figure at an accessible price which reflects its imperfections.
Reference: A. & N. Harding, Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835 - 1875: Book One, p. 321, fig. 1176
Height: 7.5”
Date: c. 1840
Provenance: The John Parrott Collection
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