Bulb bowl with impressed character i (one)

Bulb-bowl: circular, on three cloud-scroll feet. Two rows of bosses. Incised numeral 1 (one) and spur-marks on base.
Clay: hard, fine, light-gray.
Glaze: inside:olive, strong lavender-blue and lighter green-blue; outside: rose-purple, blue, gray and olive.

Historical period(s)
Yuan, Ming or Qing dynasty, 14th-15th century or 18th century
Medium
Stoneware with Jun glaze and copper pigment
Style
Jun ware
Dimensions
H x Diam: 9.7 × 26.2 cm (3 13/16 × 10 5/16 in)
Geography
China, Henan province
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1915.35
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bulb bowl

Keywords
China, Jun ware, stoneware, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)
Provenance

To 1915
Tonying and Company, New York to 1915 [1]

From 1915 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tonying and Company, New York in 1915 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 2424, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. By at least 1917, Tonying and Company maintained business locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, London, and New York, NY.

[2] See note 1.

[3] 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)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Tonying and Company (C.L. Freer source) established 1902

Description

Bulb-bowl: circular, on three cloud-scroll feet. Two rows of bosses. Incised numeral 1 (one) and spur-marks on base.
Clay: hard, fine, light-gray.
Glaze: inside:olive, strong lavender-blue and lighter green-blue; outside: rose-purple, blue, gray and olive.

Published References
  • Sigisbert Chrétien Bosch Reitz. Catalogue of an Exhibition of Early Chinese Pottery and Sculpture. Exh. cat. New York. fig. 231.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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