19e Cahier, 13e Suite, T.109

Mistress and Servant
This image very likely portrays Madame du Barry, Louis XV's official mistress, alongside her Bengali servant Zamor, who was trafficked to France by British slave traders. Despite the similarities of their elaborate ensembles, this plate is a reminder of the stark power imbalance between the two figures: The servant's silver collar bears the lady's coat of arms.

Inscription
English: "A lady of quality whose train is carried by a young Black [servant]: she is coiffed in a kind of pouf decorated with feathers and flowers; with an interlaced ribbon; her hair is encircled by a pearl band with a tassel. Her gown is of plain pink taffeta trimmed with gathered blonde lace adorned with garlands of flowers and interlaced with pinched ribbons. Her Black [servant] is coiffed with a Moorish-style bonnet decorated with pearls and plumes and he wears a silver collar bearing the lady's coat of arms. He is dressed in a coat and waistcoat of blue fabric richly decorated with a double silver braid over a short jacket of fire-colored fabric, similarly braided."

French: "Dame de qualité à qui un jeune negrè porte la queue: elle est coeffée d'une espèce de pouf orné de plumes et de fleurs; avec un ruban entrelassé; les cheveux sont ceints d'une barriere de perles avec un gland. Sa robe est de taffetas rose uni garnie de blonde froncée avec des guirlandes de fleurs et entrelassées de rubans pincés. Son nêgre est coeffé dun bonnet à la moresque orné de perles et de panaches avec un collier d'argent portant les armes de la Dame. Il est vêtu d'un habit et veste fond bleu orné d'un double galon d'argent très riche sur une veste courte fond couleur de feu, aussi galonnée."