A CHINESE EXPORT MYTHOLOGICAL COFFEE CUP AND SAUCER circa 1740

each painted with Cupid removing his mask to peek from behind a rocky outcropping at the haloed Apollo with his bare right foot on his shepherd's crook, kneeling before King Admetus, three sheep in the right foreground.  The saucer rim with a repaired area and tiny chips.

The collection of Cecil H. Bullivant, Minehead, Somerset  

There is a 2 x 1-in. piece broken out of the saucer rim and restored back.
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.

A spoon tray with this decoration is illustrated by Palmer, p. 77, fig. 41; and by Hervouët and Bruneau, p. 306, no. 13.61, who identify the decoration as mythological, correcting the traditional thought that the scene depicted the New Testament story of the Annunciation.  The authors suggest that it depicts Apollo, the sun god and pastoral god, with King Admetus of Pherac, to whom he has been sent by his father Jupiter to serve as a shepherd—a punishment for having killed Jupiter's armorers, the Cyclopes.

A saucer dish with this decoration is illustrated by Howard and Ayers, Vol. I, p. 315, no. 308, and was in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Rafi Y. Mottahedeh, sold in these rooms on January 30, 1985, lot 189.  It was then in the collection of Dr. Anton C. R. Dreesman, no. J-123, sold at Christie's in London on April 10, 2002, lot 440; and subsequently in the collection of Leo and Doris Hodroff, sold at Christie's in New York on January 23, 2008, lot 391.