Description
Early Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D)
This statue is life like, inviting and friendly with realistic features and a cheerfully curious disposition. The neck and head is extended and cocked to the left in a lively, inquisitive pose. The wings and tail are modeled in very slight relief with faint traces of the original polychrome slip detailing on the surface. This is a very fine example with extremely inviting features.
During the Han dynasty, people kept a range of animals and in keeping with the practice of “ming qi” (goods for the afterlife) it was not uncommon to model an assortment of barnyard animals (among other goods) to be placed in tombs.
This piece is warm, friendly and one of the nicest examples I have come across so far.
Obtained from an old Japanese private collection.
Examples of goose models with similar features, down to the specific manner in which the feet are modeled, can be found in several museums in southern China.
- Models of geese in the collection of the Chengdu Xiangmiyuan Han Pottery Art Museum share very similar features to this model.
- The China ceramics museum, Han Pottery Pavilian located in Foshan, features several pottery geese in its collection with almost identical features.
- During the excavation of the Xuzhou Tushan tombs (No 2) in, Jiangsu, China several pottery models of geese with webbed feet and almost identical features were recovered.
- The Luoyang Museum in Henan Province has several fowl in its collection that closely resemble the modeling of this goose, particularly the style in which the body, feathers and feet are rendered.
Dimensions (cm): Length 19 x Width 8.5 x Height 13.5
Provenance: Japanese collection
Condition: Note that the head has been reattached (clean break) and there appears to be repairs to the feet at the ankles. Please review the images carefully.