What is a tar-boy? *antique statuette*?

[robot0]

Just watched this program about an antique praisal kind of thing... They tell people how much different antiques and oddities are worth. Anyway they had this small statue, looked like a small black boy. The host said these statues used to be known as tarbabies but it's not a politically correct term so they just call them tar-boys now. Is anyone familiar with them and can share some background on them? What country do they come from?

 

[chedderhead]

They are distinctly American. I admit I have never heard the term "tar boy" before. Tarbabies, yes. That was a derogatory term used to describe young blacks early in 20th century and late 19th century. Tar being black, etc. The iconography of the image is one of a subservient black "slave" or servant that usually sits out front of the house waiting to "serve" or greet white visitors.