Mr No Body

I went to the V&A again for lunch today. This was made in China around 1690 then exported to England. It is based on an English character called No Body from a play written in 1606 called No-body and Some-body. The front cover of this play was decorated with a wood cutting of a chap with no body - just a head, arms and legs. For some reason, not explained by the V&A, the Chinese figured this would be an excellent item to sell to the English in the form of a porcelain figurine. And this is it. Imagine that sitting on your mantelpiece.