A Chinese white jade carving of a goose 18th/19th century

A Chinese white jade carving of a goose 18th/19th century, holding a lotus spray in its beak, the feathers finely defined, the stone with a few pale honey-coloured flecks to one side, 3.8cm. The goose, hong, like the Mandarin duck, mates for life and is associated with weddings. As the harbinger of good news it is the emblem of the Chinese postal flag.