λA Victorian novelty ivory desk seal

λA Victorian novelty ivory desk seal,

circa 1880,

modelled as Ally Sloper, in a standing position on a plinth with an engraved steel matrix, with a crest, height 5.2cm, plus a modern metal ware vesta case, modelled as the head of Ally Soper, hinged cover. (2)

Alexander "Ally" Sloper is the fictional character of the comic strip Ally Sloper. He is one of the earliest comic strip characters and he is regarded as the first recurring character in comics. Red-nosed and blustery, an archetypal lazy schemer often found "sloping" through alleys to avoid his landlord and other creditors, he was created for the British magazine Judy by writer and fledgling artist Charles H. Ross, and inked and later fully illustrated by his French wife Émilie de Tessier. The strips, which used text narrative beneath unbordered panels, premiered in the 14 August 1867 issue of Judy, a humour-magazine rival of the famous Punch.