A Parian figure of an Egyptian woman fetching water

A Parian figure of an Egyptian woman fetching water.  

This uncommon figure depicts a naked young woman dipping a jug into a stream to draw water. She supports herself on a tree stump.  Her beautifully curled and braided hair and her  headdress suggest she is a noble Egyptian woman from the time of the Pharoahs. Her only jewellery is a single ankle ring. The material and style of the figure suggest it is English, late 19^th century, although it could be of later date from the Egyptian revival of the 1920s.  Height: 23cm (9¼“)  

Contemporary Egyptian women drawing water were a subject in Romantic paintings of the Victorian era (cf US artist Frederick Arthur Bridgman , French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme , Austrian artist Hans Makart).

Condition: Excellent. There are specks of kiln dust on the ground and a firing line round the base of the jug.