Dear Helaine and Joe:
I recently acquired this large tureen in the shape of a goose. I believe it is a piece of armorial porcelain marked with the seal of the Chinese Emperor Qianlong. My question is whether or not you have a seen a representation of the great seal of the United States with the eagle facing away from the olive branches?
Thank you,
M. D.
Dear M. D.:
We are both more than a bit surprised that this inquiry is centered around the placement of the eagle on this goose-shaped tureen. Unfortunately, this a minor side issue when it comes to a discussion about this particular object.
Several other significant issues might include: How old is this piece? Was it really made in the mid- to late 18th century? Is the seal mark authentic? Was it actually made in China or somewhere else such as Italy, Portugal or even Japan?
On its face, this is supposed to be a piece of Chinese porcelain designed to be exported to the West — specifically, to the United States — and made during the reign of the Emperor Qianlong (1735-1796). Interestingly, the great seal of the U.S. with of its depiction of an eagle with spread wings and its talon clutching an olive branch in one and a sheath of arrows in the other was not adopted until 1782, just 14 years or so before Qianlong’s death.
It is thought that the first tureen appeared in France during the reign of the French King Louis XVI (1638-1715), aka the Sun King or Louis the Great. Originally, it was a large, round lidded serving dish used to serve the first course at dinner. There were two ways that formal dinner might be served: “service a la Francoise,” in which all the dishes were on the table at the beginning of the meal, or “service a la Russe,” in which dishes were carried in from the kitchen one course at a time.
Over time, the simple round earthenware serving dishes became more elaborate in design and shape and many were made from porcelain or silver. Shapes went from round to oval to square, then to fanciful forms such as cabbages, tomatoes, pumpkins, rabbits, swans, boars’ heads, shells, nesting chickens and geese, among others.
Unfortunately, the mark is misleading and this tureen was not made in China or manufactured during Qianlong’s reign. It is in the style of Chinese export wares but was made elsewhere and at a much later date. Most commonly, these goose tureens were made in Italy, but we cannot rule out an origin in Japan.
These goose-shaped tureens turn up for sale on occasion, and everyone we have seen has a different scheme, but they all tend to be very attractive and appealing to the eye. We can imagine their turning up in giftware catalogs of specialty shops featuring table wares and settings. But the bottom line is they were meant to deceive the unwary.
When we see these goose tureens being offered for sale online, they are in $70 range. We suspect they are being offered at $125 or so at retail.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson have written a number of books on antiques. Do you have an item you’d like to know more about? Contact them at Joe Rosson, 2504 Seymour Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, or email them at [email protected]. If you’d like your question to be considered for their column, please include a high-resolution photo of the subject, which must be in focus, with your inquiry.) ©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 5:30 AM.
