ROYAL MANUFACTURE OF SÈVRES, 18th century "The Emperor of China" - Portrait of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) Hard porcelain bisque. Between 1775 and 1779. Attributed to Josse-François-Joseph LE RICHE (1741-1812), under the direction of Louis-Simon BOIZOT (1743-1809). Intaglio marks on the base "B" (for Boizot) and "9" (mold number). Some chips and missing parts on the base. H. 40.5x W. 14.5x D. 14 cm. Provenance One of thirteen cookie portraits of "The Emperor of China" made by the Manufacture royale de Sèvres between 1775 and 1779, and one of only three known to date. French private collection, cited in a certificate of appraisal from the Manufacture nationale de porcelaine de Sèvres on July 6, 1883: "L'Empereur de Chine / Modèle de Sèvres de 1760 à 1780 (sic) / Biscuit en porcelaine pâte tendre (sic), modèle très rare et d'une grande valeur. L. Lenoy, senior clerk Musée Céramique de Sèvres". M. Poulet, antique dealer in Versailles. Purchased 6000 francs on December 14, 1929 by Madame la Comtesse Claude de Choiseul-Praslin, née Yvonne Tempez (1895-1982), from M. Poulet (invoice enclosed). Then to her godson (donated around July 19, 1960), father of the current owner. Related works An example numbered "20", H. 40.5 cm, is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (inv. 23723, Bequest Adèle Michon, 1923). A copy numbered "17", H. 40.6 cm, is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (inv. 2003.119). The original 1775 terra cotta under Boizot's direction is in the Musée National de Céramique, Sèvres (inv. MNC 12971). List of the 13 recipients of L'Empereur de la Chine cookie delivered according to the Manufacture de Sèvres archives Madame la duchesse de Mazarin, August 10, 1776 (Vy 7, fol. 118 v°). Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, in 1776 (Vy 6, fol. 208 v°). Madame Adélaïde, aunt of Louis XVI, in 1776, at Versailles (Vy 7, fol. 128). A copy sold for cash on December 21, 1776 (Vy 6, fol. 118). A copy sold for cash on December 22, 1776 (Vy 6, fol. 120). One copy sold for cash on December 27, 1776 (Vy 6, fol. 130). Monsieur le prince de Croÿ (with a foot of 48 livres), May 23, 1777 (Vy 6, fol. 186). To the merchant Grouet, first half of 1777 (Vy 6, fol. 223). Madame la comtesse d'Artois, December 28, 1777, Versailles (Vy 6, fol. 246 v°). Madame de Durfort, December 11, 1777 (Vy 7, fol. 111 v°). A copy sold for cash on December 16, 1778 (Vy 7, fol. 58). Monsieur L'ambassadeur de Sardaigne, April 27, 1779 (Vy 7, fol. 137). A copy sold for cash on May 26, 1779 (Vy 7, fol. 144). For a full description, copy and paste this link: https://www.aucties.com/redecouverte-majeure-dun-biscuit-de-sevres-du-xviiie-siecle. Literature Émile Bourgeois, Le cookie de Sèvres au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, Goupiol amp; Cie, 1909. - Tamara Préaud (art.), Sèvres, la Chine et les "chinoiseries" au XVIIIe siècle. The Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, vol. 47, 1989, pp. 39-52. - Louis-Simon Boizot (1743-1809): sculpteur du roi et directeur de l'atelier de sculpture à la Manufacture de Sèvres, exhibition catalog, Versailles, Musée Lambinet, Paris, Somogy, 2001. - Exhibition catalogue, La Chine à Versailles. Art et diplomatie au XVIIIème siècle, Château de Versailles, May 27 - October 26, 2014, Somogy, Paris, 2014. - Cat. expo. (China), Three centuries of elegance: 1740-2015 - Manufacture de Sèvres. Musée Jinsha Site, Chengdu, China, October 17 - December 17, 2015. - Videoconference given by Madame Chaoying LEE, Associate Professor at the Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures at Dong Hwa National University (Taiwan), Amis de Sèvres, October 10, 2023: "Les cadeaux diplomatiques - sous forme de porcelaine - de la cour de France à l'empereur Qianlong, décrits dans la correspondance entre le ministre Henri Bertin et les missionnaires jésuites à la cour de Pékin, au XVIIIème siècle". Expert: Maxime Charron