The wooden sculptor Wendelin Reiner operated a workshop in the district of Au before it became part of the state capital city of Munich. He became famous for his hand-carved animal figures which he created for high-ranking members of the clergy and families from throughout Bavaria. A huge number of his figures can now still be found in the crib collection in the Bavarian National Museum. In 1926, the Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg modelled a work on one of the craftsman's masterpieces so they could remodel it using the company's own fragments. Since this time, the underglaze-painted billy goat that is lying on the ground has been one of the most extravagant animal figures in the collection