A RUSSIAN PORCELAIN FIGURE OF A BAST SHOE MAKER, GARDNER PORCELAIN FACTORY, MOSCOW, LATE 19TH CENTURY realistically modelled man sitting on a trunk, wearing a white peasant shirt with red trim, black breeches and lapti, with one foot raised on a smaller log to support a shoe with his knee while mending, on a rectangular floor-like base, red overglazed Gardner factory mark, impressed factory mark and impressed numeral 45 under base; overall height: 13.5 cm (5 1/4 in.) LOT NOTESLots 276-328 in this auction come from the estate of a prominent New York collector of European heritage. After purchasing his first Gardner figurine more than 20 years ago, he developed an interest in Russian porcelain figures, and amassed a formidable collection over the next two decades, paying particular attention to quality of craftsmanship and authenticity.