In the 19th century the star actors and actresses of their day were often celebrated in paintings, prints and drawings, in ceramic figures and even Toby Jugs. Several factories in England manufactured the ceramic items which were decorated by hand and sold cheaply. This figurine is of Maria Foote (1798-1867), the Plymouth girl whose father was a theatre manager in her home town, and is based on a print published by Orlando Hodgson entitled Miss Foote as the Little Jockey. The figurine originally had a riding crop in the right hand, but this is missing.

Maria Foote's stage career began at the early age of 12, playing Juliet to her mother's Romeo, casting which was a cause for scandal in early 19th century Plymouth. The family moved to London to escape the furore and by the age of 16 Maria was acting at Covent Garden Theatre, where her good looks entranced audiences and apparently compensated for any lack of talent. When she played Arinette, the Little Jockey in William Dimond's comic burletta The Little Jockey at the Olympic Theatre in January 1831 she was certainly the star of the piece, singing the songs 'Why pretty Maiden' and 'The boy in yellow wins the day' and according to one reviewer being 'the most perfect presentation' of a little jockey ever.