740 - Chinese export mottled green glazed seated hound, Qianlong ca. 1770. The spotted dog modeled seated on its haunches, mouth open, and ribs exposed. Wearing a pink collar with a gilt bell. Provenance: Christie's, London, "Fine Chinese Export Porcelain," 30 March 1983, Lot 106; The Distinguished Collection Leo & Doris Hodroff. Reference: Sargent, "The Copeland Collection," pg. 84-5, no. 33. Howard, "Choice of the Private Trader," pg. 273, no. 329. Howard & Ayers, "China for the West," pg. 596-7, nos. 620 & 621. Lot Essay: The inspiration for the model of this dog is debated. Some argue that it resembles greyhounds bought to China by the Portuguese from the 16th century on. However, it also bears resemblance to the long-muzzled and bony-ribbed dogs native to China, represented in art since the Tang dynasty. Sargent argues for the latter, relating them to pottery figures of the Northern Wei Dynasty and a Cizhou figure. Dogs were a popular subject of export porcelain, likely sparked by European models sent for copying, from the early 18th century onwards. Though the modeling is relatively standardized, the coloration and sizes varied considerably. Most are painted in iron-red, though some examples of this unusual coloring have sold at Christie's (21-25 January 2010, Lot 445, this example dated to the Kangxi period) and Sotheby's (7-18 October 2022, Lot 292, this example lacking the mottled black swirls), among others. Height: 6 3/4 in x width: 5 1/2 in x depth: 3 in.