Chinese Perfume Bottle Depicting Goose with Two Fish

A goose, two fish, and a bit of crystal sleight of hand.

Hebei Province, China, is the source of this perfume bottle of rock crystal, carved as a goose with two fish. Carved scent bottles are commonly associated with scholars’ tables, and the animals often stand for abundance and good fortune. The smoky brown crystal has been shaped into a crouching bird with long incised feathers and a lifted head, while fish scales sit low along its side. A small pale stopper projects from one flank. The surface is polished in places, with natural cloudiness elsewhere.

About 3 inches wide. A paperweight with a mythology degree.