Ritual serving vessel with lid (fu) and dragons

Hsin-cheng type

Ceremonial vessel, type “fu”
Cover. Wood stand.
Surface: a lustrous black or brown patina, almost completely covered with an aerugo of variable color, and grayish incrustations.
Decoration: engraved.

Historical period(s)
Spring and Autumn period, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 6th century BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H x W x D: 16.5 x 27.2 x 20.5 cm (6 1/2 x 10 11/16 x 8 1/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1913.14a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Vessel
Type

Ritual vessel: fu

Keywords
China, dragon, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Spring and Autumn period (770 - 476 BCE)
Provenance

Imperial Household collection of Prince Kung of China, Beijing [1]

To 1913
Yamanaka & Company, to 1913 [2]

From 1913 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased at the sale of the Prince Kung Collection (by order of Yamanaka and Company), American Art Association, New York February 27-28 and March 1, 1913 [3]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

Notes:

[1] The Imperial Household collection of Prince Kung was under the authority of Prince Kung Ching Wang (Yixin) (1833-1898), and, later, Prince Puwei (Prince Gongxian) (1880-1936), before Yamanaka and Company acquired it. See Illustrated Catalogue of the Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China, A Wonderful Treasury of Celestial Art: recently acquired by the widely known firm of Yamanaka & Company (New York: American Art Association, 1913). See also, Original Bronze List, S.I. 390, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] See note 1.

[4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Prince Kung Ching Wang 1833-1898
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source) 1917-1965

Description

Hsin-cheng type

Ceremonial vessel, type "fu"
Cover. Wood stand.
Surface: a lustrous black or brown patina, almost completely covered with an aerugo of variable color, and grayish incrustations.
Decoration: engraved.

Published References
  • Prince Kung Ching Wang. Illustrated Catalogue of the Remarkable Collection of the Imperial Prince Kung of China: A Wonderful Treasury of Celestial Art Recently Acquired by Yamanaka & Co. New York, February 27 - March 1, 1913. cat. 280.
  • Dr. John Alexander Pope, Rutherford John Gettens, James Cahill, Noel Barnard. The Freer Chinese Bronzes. Oriental Studies Series, vol. 1, no. 7 Washington. cat. 107, p. 547.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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