A CHINESE EXPORT SUGAR BOWL AND COVER circa 1745

each piece with a gilt floral and foliate-scroll ground reserved on the front and reverse with an oval panel painted on the bowl with either two coopers constructing a barrel before further figures and buildings on a river bank, or a mother seated on a terrace with a child on her knee before a turreted castle, and the cover with two Meissen-style scenes of figures and sailboats on an estuary.  The bowl with small restored chips.

The collection of Mr. and Mrs. Rafi Y. Mottahedeh, New York, no. 1211, sold, Sotheby's, New York, January 30, 1985, lot 123

David Howard and John Ayers, China for the West, Vol. I, pp. 198 and 199, no. 195

Small touched up chips to the rim of the bowl, wear to gilding to rim edge; cover with overall wear to gilding, wear to interior of bowl; both pieces with Mottahedeh sticker.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Howard and Ayers (see Literature above) observe that while the scenes on the cover of this bowl are "probably after Meissen originals,...the vegetation and [coopers] scene are consistent only with a colonial environment and the likelihood is that this is near Batavia or some other Dutch settlement in the East."

A saucer from this singular service depicting the coopers scene is illustrated by Hervouët and Bruneau, p. 352, no. 15.37, and along with its coffee cup was in the collection of François Hervouët, sold at Sotheby's in Monte Carlo on June 22, 1987, lot 1718.  The authors also illustrate on p. 355, no. 15.43, a saucer with a mother and child scene depicting in mirror image the scene on the reverse of this bowl.