A bearded Jewish man with frock-coat, top hat, vest and spats; his extended right hand holding coins; with a portfolio-case under his left arm. Unmarked. H: 195mm. Some wear.

PORCELAIN FIGURE OF JEWISH MONEYLENDER. Staffordshire, England, ca. 1820.

Beginning in the 19th century, figures of Jewish types were popular in England and were manufactured by different porcelain houses. The figure of the Jewish Moneylender existed in several versions; one, known as the Jewish Landlord, was made in Staffordshire to illustrate an operetta. See A.& N. Harding, “Victorian Staffordshire Figures 1835 - 1875” (1998), fig. 1176, p. 321. The colors vary, as the porcelain was hand-painted after firing. As the same molds were re-used, the quality of the details declined, viz. the coins in the outstretched palm. The present figure is nevertheless, a fine example. For another example, see Barnett, London Catalogue number 695, pl. CLXXVI. Another was sold in New York, see Sotheby’s, Judaica, March 1999, Lot 150.