MODERN FIGURINE

1809

An incomplete and worn cast lead pugilist figurine of Modern date (c. AD 1809 - c. AD 1818). Length 91.0mm, width 44.0mm and 23.0mm thick. Weight 185.86g. This male figure has a robust body with the head facing forwards. The hair is tightly curled and the facial features are negroid in character. The right arm is broken just below the elbow and the left arm just above the elbow and both legs are broken close to the knee. The figure is attired in tightly clad boxing shorts with a high waist-line and a prize-fighters belt. When complete the figure would have had a boxing stance with the left leg placed slightly forward and right arm raised at the elbow. Although incomplete and with old breaks, this figurine is in fair condition and has a buff patina. Originally it was coated in a black substance. However, much of this has worn off. 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