Model of Goose
Unknown Artist
Medium
Stoneware
Dimensions
H. 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm); W. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm)
Classification
Tomb Pottery
Culture & Period
China · Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Charlotte C. and John C. Weber Collection, Gift of Charlotte C. and John C. Weber, 1994
Accession Number
1994.605.78
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming stoneware model of a, standing just over 4 inches tall, hails from China's Yuan dynasty (12711368), a period by Mongol rule yet rich in traditional Chinese artistry. Crafted as tomb pottery—known as *mingqi*—such small figurines were placed in burials to accompany the deceased into the afterlife, providing companionship, sustenance, or symbolic protection. Geese, often depicted in these models, evoked domestic life, loyalty, and the rhythms of rural existence, bridging the mortal world with the eternal. The unknown artist's skillful modeling captures the bird's alert posture and...