Not currently on display at the V&A

A beggar man

Statuette
ca. 1820 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This ivory statuette is one of a pair, this one representing a beggar man, the other a beggar woman (Mus. No. A.14-1949). It is probably made by Cointre in Dieppe, France, in ca. 1820. The figures were ascribed to Wilhelm Krüger (1680-1756) at the time of their acquisition in 1949.
Cointre (ca. 1790-1820) was an ivory carver that apparently specialised in carving genre figures of beggars in ivory in a style which looked forward to the work of Pierre-Adrien Graillon (1807/9-1872). The dark wood socles are typical of his work too. Such genre figures were typical in France in the second half of the nineteenth century, as exemplified by the work of Pierre-Adrien Graillon.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleA beggar man (named collection)
Materials and techniques
ivory on turned wood base, inlaid with ivory
Brief description
Statuette, ivory, a beggar with a pedestal, French (Dieppe), ca. 1820
Physical description
Figure in ivory of a male beggar bearded and with long hair wearing ragged clothes and a large rosary. He has a hat in his left hand and clutches the beads with his right. Round his waist, a pan, a water bottle, and a chicken in a bag. He steps forward with his left foot, holding his hat out in his left hand, fingering his rosary. The toes of his left foot are revealed through his damaged left shoe. He looks downwards. Set on a turned wood base inlaid with ivory.
Dimensions
  • With pedestal height: 21cm
  • Ivory alone height: 13.5cm
Object history
Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1949; formerly on loan from Dr Hildburgh.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This ivory statuette is one of a pair, this one representing a beggar man, the other a beggar woman (Mus. No. A.14-1949). It is probably made by Cointre in Dieppe, France, in ca. 1820. The figures were ascribed to Wilhelm Krüger (1680-1756) at the time of their acquisition in 1949.
Cointre (ca. 1790-1820) was an ivory carver that apparently specialised in carving genre figures of beggars in ivory in a style which looked forward to the work of Pierre-Adrien Graillon (1807/9-1872). The dark wood socles are typical of his work too. Such genre figures were typical in France in the second half of the nineteenth century, as exemplified by the work of Pierre-Adrien Graillon.
Associated object
A.14-1949 (Pair)
Bibliographic reference
Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 268, pp. 276, 7
Collection
Accession number
A.13-1949

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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