On an oval base with smooth plinth and relief ground is a sculptural composition depicting a proudly walking young Kabyle, condescendingly watching two slow donkeys struggling to carry heavy clay water vessels.

The composition was created by E. A. Lanceray in 1883, during the final years of his life, inspired by a trip to Algeria. As an artist who chose everyday observations and sketches as the basis of his work, he needed such inspiration. Traveling through the mountainous regions inhabited by Berbers, Lanceray naturally became fascinated by local types, colors, and motifs, and upon returning to St. Petersburg, he created a whole series of works on "Arab themes."
"Kabyle, water seller" is a composition with a simple everyday subject, modeled easily and freely by the sculptor. At this time, Lanceray had reached the peak of his mastery and experienced no difficulty in conveying the character of his subjects, their inherent ethnographic features, plasticity, and national identity.
Kabyle – a representative of one of the Berber tribes inhabiting the mountainous regions of Northern Algeria.

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