Rare Chinese "Fête de Printemps" Model from Universal Exhibition

Depicting a procession of thirteen finely-carved and painted wood figures in Qing Dynasty costumes, including dragon-standard-bearers, two men carrying miniature temples, a masked man and flag-bearers, one with embroidered flag of the Eastern Han Dynasty general Guan Yu, on wood base with label: "Exposition Universelle de Paris, 1900. Groupe XII, Classe 71, Modele de 132 Figures …. Representant la Procession Annuelle de la Fête de Printemps, Exposant: Gouvernemente Chinois, Provenance: Ning-Po, No. 196", figures approx. 4 in. (10 cm) high, base 6 ¾ x 33 in. (17 x 84 cm), good overall condition, musicians missing instruments. The Exposition Universelle de Paris ran from 15 April till 12 November 1900 and attracted almost 50 million visitors. The figures were presumably the vanguard of a larger procession, made up of similar groups, exhibited by the Chinese government.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)