A Soviet Porcelain Figure of a Urals Cossack, Dmitrovsk, 1926-1930

depicting a bearded Cossack dressed for winter standing on a rocky ground and leaning on a shovel, the based inscribed Urals Cossack in Russian

scattered losses to the paint on the wood shovel, otherwise in overall 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.

In the early Soviet era, the newly-renamed Dmitrovsk Porcelain Manufactory (the former Gardner Factory) updated some of the venerable factory's designs to fit the ideological demands of the Soviet state. This figure, originally from a series first produced at Gardner in the 1870s, is a fascinating example of such a redesign. The original version shows the Cossack, from a people famed for their military prowess, leaning on a rifle; in this example, he has exchanged his rifle for a shovel, undoubtedly to participate in one of the new era's many massive construction efforts. On the original series, see Gardner XVIII-XIX: Farforovaia plastika, Moscow, 2002,  pp. 170-215.