This figurine may have been one of those purchased by George and Martha Washington from London in the early years of their marriage. At that time, the tables of English and colonial elites were set with centerpieces consisting of sugar and almond paste landscapes and figures, interspersed with ones made of porcelains or glass. According to tradition, Martha Washington sent this figurine as a gift for children in the family of Tobias Lear, George Washington's secretary.