A Chinese Export Goose Tureen and Cover 1765-85

with brown, black, and blue plumage.

Jess Pavey, Birmingham, Michigan;
Sotheby's, The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Henry Meyer, January 20, 1996, sale 6801, lot 4.

Joan Barzilay Freund, Masterpieces of Americana: The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Henry Meyer, (New York: Sotheby's Books, 1995), p. 70.

The base: The base is extensively restored. The interior of the base, particularly the side wall, is almost completely sprayed. Much of the inside rim is rebuilt or restored. The right half of the base has been broken into several pieces, which has now been restored and painted over, and some parts probably rebuilt. The cover: The tips of both wings (areas not attached to the body) are both restored and likely rebuilt. There is an area of overpainting to the interior of the piece at the back, covering a fine 2 inch haircrack. There is some restoration to the interior rim, possibly covering some minor chips. The blue and pink enamel as well as the large areas of black enamel has misfired, resulting in an uneven and gritty finish. The cover is slightly warped and slightly ill fitting.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Goose tureens were made in two sizes, the present example being the slightly smaller less frequently seen form. A tureen of the larger type is illustrated by Michael Cohen and William Motley, Mandarin and Menagerie. Chinese and Japanese Export Ceramic Figures, pp. 258-9, no. 18.1, where the authors discuss the various European ceramic precedents for the model, and also illustrate, on pp. 260-1, a small goose sauce tureen with the same coloring as the present lot. A colorfully painted tureen of the larger type was sold in these rooms, January 23, 2009, lot 30 and a tureen of the present type, identically decorated, was in the Collection of Mildred R. and Rafi Y. Mottahedeh, sold in these rooms, October 19, 2000, lot 377; another was sold at Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, August 16, 2009, lot 820.