Wine Vessel (Zun) in the Form of a Goose

This bronze vessel, used for heating and holding wine, takes the form of a standing goose, with the extended neck serving as the spout. The date of this vessel is difficult to ascertain. The incised hatch lines, engraved after the casting of the bronze, delineate the eyes, webbed feet, and tail feathers as well as the handle design. Although rare, such engraving contributes to the Han-dynasty dating. Two small lions, more typical of Tang-dynasty (618–907 C.E.) bronzes, support a handle on the goose’s back. Scientific testing has ascertained that the handle was cast at the same time as the vessel and not added later. A drawing of a similar goose-shape vessel is found in the collection of the Northern Song emperor Huizong (reigned 1101–25) and is illustrated in the catalogue of his imperial collection of ancient bronzes, first printed about 1125, along with a ceramic ru-ware vessel that dates to the same period.