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We present a detailed analysis of a red quasar at z=2.32 with an interveningdamped Lyman-alpha absorber (DLA) at z=2.13. Using high quality data from theX-shooter spectrograph at ESO Very Large Telescope we find that the absorberhas a metallicity consistent with Solar. We observe strong C I and H$_2$absorption indicating a cold, dense absorbing medium. Partial coverage effectsare observed in the C I lines, from which we infer a covering fraction of $27\pm 6$ % and a physical diameter of the cloud of 0.1 pc. From the coveringfraction and size, we estimate the size of the background quasar's broad lineregion. We search for emission from the DLA counterpart in optical andnear-infrared imaging. No emission is observed in the optical data. However, wesee tentative evidence for a counterpart in the H and K' band images. The DLAshows high depletion (as probed by [Fe/Zn]=-1.22) indicating that significantamounts of dust must be present in the DLA. By fitting the spectrum withvarious dust reddened quasar templates we find a best-fitting amount of dust inthe DLA of $A(V)_{\rm DLA}=0.28 \pm 0.01|_{\rm stat} \pm 0.07|_{\rm sys}$. Weconclude that dust in the DLA is causing the colours of this intrinsically veryluminous background quasar to appear much redder than average quasars, therebynot fulfilling the criteria for quasar identification in the Sloan Digital SkySurvey. Such chemically enriched and dusty absorbers are thus underrepresentedin current samples of DLAs.

A quasar reddened by a sub-parsec sized, metal-rich and dusty cloud in a damped Lyman-alpha absorber at z=2.13