This figure depicts a moustached Parsee merchant holding a vessel to one side. He is wearing a traditional Parsee headgear and a white belted tunic under his coat, white pantaloons underneath and flat slip-ons on his feet. The figure possesses a sensitive modelling of the face and was probably made as a portrait of a particular Parsee merchant. Fired clay was often used to make such portrait models. The models were produced in China for export or for the purchase of European and Asian traders as well as Chinese merchants, workers and officials. Clay figures of this type became popular in the early 18th century for export purposes and this trend continued into the early 19th century. These figures have a humorous aspect, sometimes bordering on caricature, an essential part of their appeal as a novelty collectible. They were often purchased by Westerners as works of art embodying the interesting characters they encountered in the Far East.
