Having recently conquered Algeria, the French had a national preoccupation with the natives of their newly acquired territory, a fashion which Cordier, with his own interest and skill, was to capitalise upon with such works as La Juive d'Alger. The present model, executed in enamelled bronze and onyx, first appeared in the exhibition of 1862 in London, for which it was presumably specially produced. Subsequently, a version was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1863 and another at the Exposition Universelle of 1867. In 1869, the French Government presented a further example to the museum in Troyes.

An identical example sold at Sotheby's, 29th November 1991, lot 130.