A DEHUA FIGURE OF GUANYIN QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

seated in lalitasana holding a scroll in the left hand, wearing long flowing robes, the face with a serene downcast expression and hair ornately tied and set with jewellery, with a matching pendant to the chest, the reverse impressed with a gourd-shaped He Chaozong mark 

Collection of Vilhelm Meyer (1878-1935).
Thence by descent to the present owner.

There is a natural firing crack and pooling of glaze where the head joins the body which may have been stabilised with glue. There are four fingers missing to the left hand and the index finger and thumb to the right. There is a small chip to the tip of the hairpin and there are some polished areas to the robe to lower front area. There is also a small approx. 3 by 2mm shallow chip to the front lower left section of the robe.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A similarly modelled figure of Guanyin also bearing a He Chaozong mark, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Dehua Wares Collected by the Palace Museum I, Beijing, 2016, pl. 26; another is published in Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, pt. 1, pl. 133; and two were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, the first from the Edward T. Chow collection, 19th May 1981, lot 466, and the second, 20th May 1987, lot 529.