Porcelain figurine of a peasant drinking from a ladle, Kuznetsov factory, late 19th century

Porcelain figure of a Russian peasant drinking from a ladle, Kuznetsov Porcelain Factory, Tver, late 19th century, realistically depicted peasant sitting on a chest next to a water barrel, holding a ladle with both hands, dressed in a white shirt with red edges and a blue jacket and bast shoes, sitting on an oval base, with the factory mark of M.S. Kuznetsov, numbers 1276 and 12, and the inscription "Baron de Baye" under the base; overall height: 18 cm (7 1/8 in). Lot notes: The inscription likely refers to Baron Joseph de Baye (1853-1931), who was originally an amateur archaeologist from the Champagne region of France, but in the early 20th century was commissioned by the French government to collect ceramics in the Russian Empire. Upon his return, he acquired a significant number of items of Russian folk art and gave public lectures on the ethnographic treasures of Russia in Paris. The Baron and his daughters donated his extensive collection to many French museums, including the Cernuschi Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Guimet Museum, the Louvre, the National Museum of Antiquities in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and the Sèvres Museum.