POST MEDIEVAL FIGURINE

1784

Cast lead figurine of a male African figure, possibly the famous 18th/19th century boxer, Tom Molineaux, 1784-1818. Standing at 89mm high, the legs are broken just below the knees. The arms are also broken, one at the shoulder, the other at the elbow. It has a robust body with the head facing forwards. The hair is tightly curled and the facial features are African in character. It appears to be wearing shorts but the surface is very worn. The figurine is probably a representation of the celebrated American pugilist, Tom Molineaux. Born a slave on a Virginia plantation, Tom Molineaux (1784-1818) fought fellow slaves while plantation owners wagered on the contests. After winning one of these matches against a rival, Molineaux was granted his freedom and the sum of $500 by his owner, Algernon Molineaux. By 1809, he had travelled to New York and subsequently to England where he became a notable prize fighter. Two notorious fights with English champion Tom Cribb in 1810 and 1811 won Molineaux a place in boxing history and he became a celebrity in England. He fought only sporadically, opting to engage in numerous sparring exhibitions. His death was reported in the October 13th 1818 edition of the New-York Spectator. He died in Dublin, Ireland. A hand-coloured etching showing Tom Molineaux in a similar stance to that of the figurine is in the Collections of Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, U.S.A. See: http://www.vahistorical.org/molineaux.htm See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Molineaux Another figurine of Tom Molineaux has been recorded on the database - IOW-40D6F1.