Figurine

Date: c. 1840

Accession number: NN7858

Material: ceramic; earthenware

These two figurines depict the characters Othello and Iago from Shakespeare's play 'Othello, Moor of Venice'. The first Black actor to play Othello was Ira Aldridge. Born in New York, Aldridge came to England in the 1820s working as a personal attendant to James Wallack, a British American actor and theatre manager. Aldridge made his highly acclaimed debut in Othello and toured Europe playing Shakespearian roles. In 1863 he became a British citizen.
A man in a suit touches the shoulder of a man in robes with a head-covering.
A man in a suit touches the shoulder of a man in robes with a head-covering.
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