Ibrahim Pasha
Ibrahim Pasha (1789 – 1848) was the eldest son of Mohammed Ali the Viceroy of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces when he was merely a teenager. In the final year of his life, he succeeded his still-living father as ruler of Egypt and Sudan, due to the latter’s ill health.
His rule also extended over the other dominions that his father had brought under Egyptian rule, including Syria and Crete. He was Governor of Syria and visited London in 1846 where he was received by Queen Victoria.
Ibrahim predeceased his father, dying 10 November 1848, only four months after acceding to the throne. Upon his father’s death the following year, the Egyptian throne passed to Ibrahim’s nephew (son of Muhammad Ali’s second oldest son), Abbas.
Ibrahim remains one of the most celebrated members of the Mohammed Ali dynasty particularly for his impressive military victories, including several crushing defeats of the Ottoman Empire. Today, a statue of Ibrahim occupies a prominent position in Egypt’s capital, Cairo.
More Figures of the month
Boys playing cricket
This is a pair of Staffordshire figures of unidentified boys playing cricket, standing 6 ½” and 6 ¾” tall, dating to around 1850.
Tom King and Dick Turpin
This is a fine pair of Staffordshire figures of Tom King and Dick Turpin, probably originating from a theatrical production. Note the four separately moulded legs on each horse.
Artabanes
This is a theatrical figure representing an actor in the role of Artabanes, from the opera Artaxerxes. The figure stands 11 3/4” tall, dates to approximately 1830-1840, and is very rare. There is a dagger in his right hand, part of the blade being hidden beneath his sash. The interior and the edging of his coat are fully lined with ermine.
Napoleon III with Prince Albert
This is a figure of Napoleon III with Prince Albert, each with a drum on the ground and to the side. The figure stands 10 ¾” and dates to about 1854.
A pair of clowns
This is a fine pair of Staffordshire clowns, both standing 6 ½” tall, dating to circa 1860. Each is wearing pantaloons, with the figure on the left holding a cane.
Scottish hunter
This is an interesting example of a Scottish hunter, wearing kilt and underglaze blue coat, with a dog at his knee and a rifle resting near his right hand. The figure stands 14 ¼” tall and dates to about 1860.
