Tomb figure of a lion

Pottery with “three-color” glaze. Clay: buff white. Glaze: mottled blue, yellow and white with fine crackle. Earth adhesions. Decoration: modelled figure of a lion biting its right hind leg and seated on a rock; three large round perforations in sides of rock.

Historical period(s)
Tang dynasty, first half of 8th century
Medium
Earthenware with lead-silicate glazes tinted with iron, copper, and cobalt
Dimensions
H: 19 cm (7 1/2 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1929.15
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Sculpture
Type

Tomb figure: animal

Keywords
China, earthenware, lion, Tang dynasty (618 - 907)
Provenance

To 1929
Yamanaka & Co., Washington, DC [1]

From 1929
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Yamanaka & Co., Washington, DC in April 1929 [2]

Notes:

[1] Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Yamanaka and Co. 1917-1965

Description

Pottery with "three-color" glaze. Clay: buff white. Glaze: mottled blue, yellow and white with fine crackle. Earth adhesions. Decoration: modelled figure of a lion biting its right hind leg and seated on a rock; three large round perforations in sides of rock.

Published References
  • William Watson. Tang and Liao Ceramics. New York, 1984. .
  • Chugoku bijutsu [Chinese Art in Western Collections]. 5 vols., Tokyo, 1972-1973. vol. 3: pl. 103.
  • Koyama Fujio. Sansai [Tri-Color Pottery]. vol. 76 Tokyo, September 1972. fig. 71.
  • Koyama Fujio. T'ang Three-Color Glazes. no. 1 Tokyo, January 1963. opp. p. 27.
  • Mayuyama Junkichi. Obei shuzo chugoku toji zuroku [Chinese Ceramics in the West]. Tokyo. pl. 6.
  • Warren E. Cox. The Book of Pottery and Porcelain. 2 vols., New York. vol. I: p. 109, pl. 28.
  • Capolavori nei secoli: Enciclopedia di tutte i popoli in tutti i tempi. 12 vols., Milan, 1961 - 1964. vol. 3: p. 49.
  • Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. vol. 10, pl. 15.
  • Chang Wanli. Tang san cai you tao [Three-Colour Glaze Pottery of the T'ang Dynasty]. 3 vols., Hong Kong. vol. 2: pl. 64.
  • Grace Dunham Guest, Archibald Gibson Wenley. Annotated Outlines of the History of Chinese Arts. Washington, 1949. p. 8.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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