This figurine of Argan, the hypochondriac in Molière's play Le Malade Imaginaire, was made in Paris by the company of Edmé Samson, a famous copyist of pottery and porcelain. Samson established his factory in Paris in 1845, producing pieces inspired by and copied from the work of famous factories, including Meissen, Sèvres, Chelsea, Derby and all the major factories of England, France and Germany, as well as tin-glazed earthenware or faience. He claimed to mark all pieces with his own double 'S' mark as well as the mark of the original piece, but in many cases his own mark is missing.

Le Malade Imaginaire was the last play written by Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin,1622-1673), considered to be France's greatest dramatist. He wrote 27 plays, mostly satirising the foibles of everyday life and such apparently respectable figures as doctors, lawyers and priests. Molière wrote, directed and acted in his plays and, ironically, the role of Le Malade in Le Malade Imaginaire, a hypochondriac who felt sure he was dying, was Molière's last role. He suffered convulsions following its fourth performance and died that evening.