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

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