The character shown here, Paul Pry, was the central character of an 1825 play, in which his character is a meddlesome, busybody, who strategically leaves his umbrella (he's carrying it here) in various settings to have an excuse to return and eavesdrop. His famous one liner, "I hope I didn't intrude" would always be uttered when he was invariably discovered listening in. His meddlings soon lead to a discovery of more sinister activities and he becomes the unlikely, totally annoying, hero. The play was immensely popular in London and went on to tour throughout the country, and even made it to New York. Paul Pry became a beloved figure of the time, and enterprising retailers emblazoned his face across all manner of "merch" as it were. Today, Paul Pry pubs still exist in the UK, and I can attest, the name is occasionally helpful to have in one's back pocket for crosswords!
Anyhow, not serious, not poignant, but a really interesting piece of what was essentially early Victorian pop culture.
Size: 23mm
Materials: Gilt metal, paste
Condition: Wear to the gilding and glass commensurate with age