LATE 18TH/EARLY 19TH CENTURY

A large standing goose with raised head is illustrated by W.R. Sargent, op. cit., p. 238, where he notes that the knobbed beak and heavy legs and feet are characteristic of the Chinese breed. Like ducks, geese mate for life and fly in pairs, and are thus considered symbols of marital happiness. Geese were made in Chinese ceramics as early as the Han dynasty.