A Thomas Parr figure group depicting Rebekah and Abraham’s Servant, Staffordshire, circa 1850-60
This figure group depicts Rebekah seated by a well, pouring water from a pitcher into a cup held by Abraham’s servant. Both wear idealised Middle Eastern clothing, with headdresses and flowing drapery, including a sash tied at the servant’s waist, all highlighted with gilt details. The mound base is painted in naturalistic colours representing vegetation. Shredded or sieved clay has also been painted and applied to the edge of the well, beside the servant’s right leg. Unlike Staffordshire flatbacks, the back of this figure group is also moulded and decorated. The front of the base is finished with a gilt line.
A small numeral 3 is painted on the underside in red.
Rebekah is introduced in the Book of Genesis when, seeking a wife for his son Isaac, Abraham sends his senior servant to Mesopotamia. The servant prays for a sign, and Rebekah comes to the well. She gives him a drink and draws water for all of his camels, fulfilling the sign. This biblical story was enormously popular during the Victorian era as Rebekah’s charity, modesty, and selfless grace embodied the archetype of feminine virtue. Victorian society also deeply romanticised courtship and marriage, and the story of Isaac and Rebekah symbolised a divinely guided romance.
Thomas Parr produced some of the finest Staffordshire figures during the Victorian period, admired for the quality of modelling, moulding, and decoration. Parr’s attention to detail is demonstrated in this complex figure group where the separately moulded arms, legs and pitcher allowed it to be appreciated from all angles. The use of gold was also reserved for the best figures.
Dimensions: Height 17.5 cm; Width (across the base) 11.5 cm; Depth (across the base) 8.5 cm.
Condition: No cracks or restoration. There are a very few tiny and minor glaze flaws including to the servant’s nose, the cup, Rebekah’s forefinger, and the edge of her drapery. Under a magnifier, some of the these appear to be from manufacture. Also from manufacture, there is a clay tear to part of Rebekah’s neck. The gilt decoration is in good order, with only light wear in places. There is some typical minor flaking to the on-glaze black enamel on the servant’s shoes, and also to the brown enamel of Rebekah’s hair.
Refs. Two examples of this model are illustrated in Harding, Page 38, Fig. 1759. The author states that two sizes are recorded – six inches and 11.5 inches, however the current example is just under seven inches in height.
Victorian Staffordshire Figures, 1835-1875, Book Two, A & N Harding (Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1998).
Price: £68.