Artwork
A seller of Fezes and Amber mouthpieces
A seller of Fezes and Amber mouthpieces is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist H. H. Morant. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour depicts a vendor selling fezes and amber mouthpieces, characterized by simple, bold colors and flat, clear strokes, focusing on everyday life rather than grand scenes.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a man, likely a Middle Eastern or North African trader, dressed in distinctive attire (white turban, green sleeves with red cuffs, red shoes) with a beard and serious expression, engaged in selling traditional items (fezes and amber mouthpieces).
Technique & Style
The artwork features a straightforward, unembellished technique with bold, flat colors and clear strokes, eschewing complex shading for a direct representation of the subject.
History & Provenance
The piece entered the collection in January 1973, donated by Mrs. M.J. Netting. It is part of a group of closely related studies from 1852-1854, comparable to works by Amadeo Preziosi, including a signed 1853 piece, *A Turkish bazaar*.
Context
The reverse of the work contains a pencil sketch of a Maltese fortification, suggesting the artist’s travels or interests beyond the depicted bazaar scene.
Legacy
The style of this piece is reminiscent of works found in the Victoria and Albert Museum, indicating its place within a broader tradition of everyday life depiction in 19th-century art.
Artist & collection
Artist
British artist H. H. Morant painted everyday street scenes in watercolor during the mid-1800s. His small, precise works capture vendors and passersby in Cairo and Nubia—like *A Sherbert Seller* (1852–54) and *A Nubian…
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