Johann and Ferdinand Maresch, Black man with cane, Circa 1900, glazed terracotta, Czech Republic

The inscription on the reverse of this seated figure – the letters J and M followed by an acronym – links this piece to the work of the Maresch family, who were important ceramists in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) in the second half of the 19th century. More specifically, this piece refers to a series known as Petits Nègres, figures of black Americans that were highly prized by collectors at the time. The polychromy, the highly detailed work on the clothing and the expressive power of this figure make it a fine example of naturalistic sculpture. In this work, the artist makes the individual represented a clearly recognisable type. The costume is typical of the black American city-dweller: shirt, checked waistcoat, tie, jacket, trousers, street shoes, hat and walking stick in hand. This little man should evoke the American continent and take the viewer on a journey.