Bowl

Vessel in the form of a bulb bowl often found in Chun ware of the Ming Dynasty. The shallow bowl has 18 bosses under the lip and another 18 above the feet. The three feet are in the form of “ju-i” lappets. The cavetto is of metal and the base and feet of wood. The original black color of the lacquer is still plainly visible in a number of patches, but the greater area of the surface is now a dirty grey tinged with green, which was probably a sort of coating put on the black lacquer subsequently. The base and feet are ocherish red. On the base is a defaced inscription of which the characters “wan kuan” [Chn] (?) and “chien-chih” [Chn] are still legible.

Historical period(s)
Ming dynasty, 1368-1644
Medium
Lacquer
Dimensions
H x W: 8.1 x 22.4 cm (3 3/16 x 8 13/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1916.436
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Lacquer, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
China, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
Provenance

To 1916
Lai-Yuan and Company, New York to 1916 [1]

From 1916 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Lai-Yuan and Company in 1916 [2]

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

Notes:

[1] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 994, pg. 127, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[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
Lai-Yuan & Company (C.L. Freer source) ca. 1915-April 1921

Description

Vessel in the form of a bulb bowl often found in Chun ware of the Ming Dynasty. The shallow bowl has 18 bosses under the lip and another 18 above the feet. The three feet are in the form of "ju-i" lappets. The cavetto is of metal and the base and feet of wood. The original black color of the lacquer is still plainly visible in a number of patches, but the greater area of the surface is now a dirty grey tinged with green, which was probably a sort of coating put on the black lacquer subsequently. The base and feet are ocherish red. On the base is a defaced inscription of which the characters "wan kuan" [Chn] (?) and "chien-chih" [Chn] are still legible.

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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