Rare Antique Staffordshire Infant Samuel Praying Figure c1860 3.25 For Sale

Rare original Victorian Staffordshire pottery figure depicting the young biblical Samuel kneeling in prayer.

Samuel is shown bareheaded in a white nightgown, kneeling with his hands clasped and his face turned upward. The composition was inspired by Sir Joshua Reynolds’s celebrated painting “The Infant Samuel at Prayer,” first exhibited during the 1770s. The last photo in this listing shows the painting that inspired this figure.

This scarce Staffordshire model is documented in Stephen Duckworth’s reference book “Victorian Staffordshire Pottery Religious Figures: Stories on the Mantelpiece,” page 43, Figure 4.25, reference A.36. A matching 3.25-inch example has been described by a specialist Staffordshire dealer as “very rare” and dated to approximately 1860.

The figure has a hollow base, hand-painted facial details, black hair and an oval base retaining traces of its original gilt line. Its small scale and expressive, somewhat naïve modeling give it wonderful Victorian folk-art character.

Please note that this example has a chip/loss at the base and damage to the raised knee. These condition issues are reflected in the price and clearly shown in the photographs.

DETAILS:

* Subject: The Infant Samuel at Prayer

* Inspiration: After Sir Joshua Reynolds

* Origin: Staffordshire, England

* Approximate date: Circa 1860

* Material: Glazed pottery

* Height: Approximately 3.25 inches

* Base: Oval with traces of gilt decoration

* Construction: Hollow

* Markings: Unmarked

* Reference: Stephen Duckworth, “Victorian Staffordshire Pottery Religious Figures,” page 43, Figure 4.25, A.36

•Height 3.25”

A genuinely scarce Victorian religious figure and an appealing addition to a collection of antique Staffordshire pottery, biblical figures, devotional antiques or objects inspired by historic paintings

Antique condition with a chip/loss along the base and a chip/loss at the raised knee. Additional age-related surface wear, scattered discoloration, paint loss and rubbing to the gilt line. No maker’s mark. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.