Candlestick in the Form of a Seated "Sultan" and "Sultana"

mid 19th century

A pair of candlesticks in the form of a seated “Sultan” and “Sultana” (French, mid-19th century) produced by Jacob Petit (French, 1796-1868). Produced out of hard-paste porcelain and decorated with enamels, one candlestick depicts a seated “Sultan” figure smoking a hookah and the other a seated “Sultana” figure with a bird perched on her hand. The limbs or each figure are limp and languid, subtly implying the racist stereotype that they are more lethargic than Westerners.

French

Hard-paste porcelain

enamel

7" H

Bequest of Mrs. Alletta Morris McBean.

PSNC.8552.1 - .2