A RARE CALCIFIED JADE 'GOOSE' PENDANT SIX DYNASTIES OR EARLIER |

of flattened form, carved in profile, the plump bird recumbent with its leg tucked under, its long neck extended and head uplifted, the silhouette of a long-necked goose, pierced through upper neck for suspension, the calcified stone of an even creamy brown tone 

Collection of Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941). 
Collection of the Holmes Foundation. 
Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 14-15 November 1963, lot 199 (part lot).
Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978). 

In overall good condition with a few very minor natural fissures to the stone.
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.

This rare goose-form pendant presents a particular challenge when attempting to attribute a date of production as it defies certain characteristic of the well-known group of bird-form pendants made during the Shang and Zhou periods, such as one illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 12:28, or another in the form of a dove, formerly in the H.K. Burnet Collection, included in the Exhibition of Chinese Art, Manchester City Art Gallery, Manchester, 1936, cat. no. 103 and in the Exhibition of Chinese Jades, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1948, cat. no. 52. The unusual profile, gently rounded edges and distinctive calcified stone suggest a post-archaic attribution.