A pair of Chinese Export painted clay nodding head figures Qing Dynasty, late 18th/early 19th century

Restorations, bases later.

Overall restored condition. The surface with expansive over-painting. The male figure with operating nodding head. The female figure lacking the weight to bottom of head and so it does not nod. The giltwood bases a later date but with age and rubbing and wear to gilding. Hands appear to be in good condition.
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.

The present figures are sometimes described as being modeled of 'plaster' and are first recorded in a Western collection in 1777, when a group bought at auction by the Danish Asiatisk Kompagni subsequently entered the Danish Royal Collections.  For a discussion of these figures see B. Dam-Mikkelsen and Torben Lundbaek, Ethnographic Objects in the Royal Danish Kunstkammer 1650-1800, pp. 173-179.  Another similar figure is illustrated by Carl Crossman, The Decorative Arts of the China Trade, p. 316, color pl. 112. Crossman discusses it and other related figures now in the collection of the Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, some of which are dressed in silk robes, and notes on p. 448 that such figures are often referred to as 'Regency,' erroneously implying English manufacture, a belief perhaps stemming from the group of, undoubtedly Chinese, figures which can be found in the Royal Pavilion, Brighton.