GEESE ON TRANSFERWARE

Canada Geese and Goslings

Despite their messiness, I've always liked Canada geese   I saw some recently during a walk in Shoreline Park in Mountain View, CA.  They made me wonder how many transferware patterns feature geese.  There are quite a few, but none that look like Canada geese!

Many of the patterns were made for children.

"Goose" pattern cup, 2 inches high by 2.75 inches in diameter. The text says "Goose," but the bird is probably a duck!  I thought I'd include it because it looks a bit like a Canada Goose.

Known as Geese Attack, this 5.5 inch plate shows a family attacked by geese.  I was bitten by a goose when I was a child.  They look adorable, but can be quite mean.

Some patterns are humorous (sort of) like the one above, and some were designed to educate like the patterns on the mugs and plate below.

Children's patterns were often teaching tools.  This 2.75 inch mug is an alphabet mug: "Gg/G for Goose and Gardener too."

Alphabet 6.25 inch plate with a molded alphabet border: "Goose, Gate & Gun."

Alphabet 2.5 inch mug: "G stands for Gander, for Goose, and for Gift."

Some patterns illustrate Nursery rhymes and fables.

"Nursery Rhymes" 7.5 inch plate "Goosey Goosey Gander."  The plate has a printed alphabet border.

Maw & Co. (1852-1979) 6 inch tile printed with an illustration of the unfortunate end of the fable "The Goose Which Laid Golden Eggs."

Hunting patterns often include geese. 

Enoch Wood & Sons (1818-1846) 10 inch plate from the series known as "The Sporting Series," ca. 1825.

Hunters are not always human.

J.F. Wileman (1869-1892) "Sporting Scenes" 8.25 inch plate featuring a fox and its kill.  Would you want to eat from this plate?

Thomas Elsmore & Son (1872-1887) child's 7.5 inch plate with a molded alphabet border.  It is titled "Fox And Goose." 

 
One more photo of the Canada geese.  The child is rather close to the geese.  I hope they don't bite!

 Below is a large bronze sculpture of geese near the entrance to the Children's Zoo at the San Francisco Zoo.  Maya looks concerned, but these geese don't bite!

Bronze Goose sculpture at the San Francisco Zoo

Do you have any favorite transferware patterns that feature geese?