Ritual food vessel (gui)

Vessel of the type kuei. Stand. Decoration cast in relief. Silvery, green, and blue patination, and earthy incrustations. Inscription inside bottom.

Historical period(s)
Western Zhou dynasty, late 11th-early 10th century BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H x W: 14.1 x 24.2 cm (5 9/16 x 9 1/2 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1924.14a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Vessel
Type

Ritual vessel: gui

Keywords
animal, Carl Whiting Bishop collection, China, food, inscription, mask, Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE)
Provenance

To 1924
Lee Sung-shan, Peking. [1]

From 1924
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased by Carl Whiting Bishop from Lee Sung-shan, Peking. [2]

Notes:

[1] Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Lee Sung-shan

Description

Vessel of the type kuei. Stand. Decoration cast in relief. Silvery, green, and blue patination, and earthy incrustations. Inscription inside bottom.

Inscription(s)

Inscription inside bottom

Published References
  • Chin wen tsung chi. Taipei. vol. 3: p. 1126.
  • Shang Chou chin wen shi ch'eng. Multi-volume, Taipei. cat. 2279.
  • Dr. John Alexander Pope, Rutherford John Gettens, James Cahill, Noel Barnard. The Freer Chinese Bronzes. Oriental Studies Series, vol. 1, no. 7 Washington. cat. 65, p. 365.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Terms of Use