Korean Wedding Duck

Yi Dynasty 19th Century

A wood carved wedding duck (Ten-Gan no Rei)

Korean,

29cm x 22cm

It has been a long-standing Korean tradition to give a pair of wooden ducks or geese to a prospective bride and groom. This is because these birds represent the promise of eternal love. Once these animals find their partner, they mate for life and even in death, they resolve to remain faithful to their lost love. Singularly, these pieces can be said to represent the search for one’s true soul mate. This piece is a fine example of a wedding duck. The monochrome dark wood stain and sleekly carved body and face sets it apart from the later red and blue mass manufactured versions.