Maria Foote (The Little Jockey)

 

Stock No: 001337

 

Height:  6.5 Inches / 16.5 cm

 

Reference: Harding Book 1, Page 347, Fig 1310

 

Price: £550.00

 

A fine and well-modelled figure of a woman, possibly a portrait of Maria Foote as Arinette in ‘The Little Jockey’. She is standing on a circular gilt lined base, wearing a jockey’s cap, jacket, waistcoat, jodhpurs, and riding boots, a riding crop raised in her right hand. The source of this figure is a coloured theatrical portrait print, published by Orlando Hodgson, entitled ‘Miss Foote as the Little Jockey‘. The figure dates to c1830-35. She may originally have held a riding crop, a hole in her right hand is fashioned as part of the modelling and would have had a wooden prop placed in it originally.

There are many different examples of standing jockeys that were produced throughout the Victorian period, it is my belief that although originally produced as a portrait figure,  they continued to be made long after Miss Foote retired from the stage. With the popularity of horse racing increasing they were also made to reflect this popular sporting activity. The figure has a professional invisible repair to her left arm, with no other damage, repairs, or restoration, it dates to c1840-45.