Auction 24 · Lot 382
A bearded Jewish man wears a reddish-brown overcoat, white high hat and vest, blue trousers; his extended right hand holds coins; he holds a case under his left arm. Unmarked. H: 195mm. Some wear
- Estimate
- $3,000–$4,000
- Hammer price
- $1,500
Historical auction record. Hammer prices exclude buyer’s premium and taxes.
author
PORCELAIN FIGURE OF JEWISH MONEYLENDER
Rockingham, England, ca. 1820
summary
Beginning in the19th 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

