the janissary was a member of an elite military corps, originally made up of prisoners of war, who protected the ottoman empire and held a high social position until they were abolished by sultan mahmoud ii (died 1839). due to their popularity and political powers, they made an interesting subject for portraiture. the female bust, "kabyle woman from algeria", was exhibited for the first time at the salon of 1884 with great success. the current pair is an example of the finely detailed polychrome sculpture for which guillemin was best known.