Figure of the month

Ibrahim Pasha

May 2020

Ibrahim Pasha (1789 – 1848) was the eldest son of Mohammed Ali the Viceroy of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces when he was merely a teenager. In the final year of his life, he succeeded his still-living father as ruler of Egypt and Sudan, due to the latter’s ill health.

​His rule also extended over the other dominions that his father had brought under Egyptian rule, including Syria and Crete. He was Governor of Syria and visited London in 1846 where he was received by Queen Victoria.

Ibrahim predeceased his father, dying 10 November 1848, only four months after acceding to the throne. Upon his father’s death the following year, the Egyptian throne passed to Ibrahim’s nephew (son of Muhammad Ali’s second oldest son), Abbas.

Ibrahim remains one of the most celebrated members of the Mohammed Ali dynasty particularly for his impressive military victories, including several crushing defeats of the Ottoman Empire. Today, a statue of Ibrahim occupies a prominent position in Egypt’s capital, Cairo.

More Figures of the month

Lady Godiva

March 2023

This is a rare figure portraying Lady Godiva seated sidesaddle on horseback.  The figure is titled “Lady Godiva” and is decorated in the manner of the Parr factory, with soft yellow, green, and brown brushstrokes.

Lost Piece

February 2023

This is an early Staffordshire figure of a woman standing on a grassy pedestal, with a coin in her extended hand.  The figure is titled “Lost Piece” and represents the biblical verses found in Luke 15:8-10.

William Shakespeare

January 2023

This is a gilt script titled figure of William Shakespeare with his right arm resting on a book atop a pedestal.  Next to the pedestal is a sloped watch holder with a clock face painted inside, sitting atop a tree decorated with grapes.

Children on Saint Bernard dogs

December 2022

This is a very rare pair of children seated sideways on Saint Bernards.  More common figures have the children laying down or seated facing forward.  Others have the rear arms moulded into the figures, instead of being separately moulded as these are.  These figures are approximately 10” tall and date to around 1840-1850. 

King of Sardinia

November 2022

This is a rare figure of Victor Emmanuel II, the King of Sardinia and later the first King of Italy.  The figure is titled with gold accented raised capitals, stands approximately 12 3/4” tall, and dates to about 1855.  It is probably a Crimean war figure, with Emmanuel being shown in military uniform. 

Bluebeard and Fatima

October 2022

This is a rare figure of Bluebeard and Fatima, approximately 12 1/2” tall, dating to 1858. Bluebeard is easily recognized with his blue beard. He stands upright with a knife in his right hand and left hand on his hip. Fatima is kneeling before Bluebeard with eyes cast upward toward him, hands folded in a prayer-like position.

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