Ritual wine container (fangyi) with masks (taotie) and dragons

Smooth grey to green patina; decorations cast in low relief and intaglio. Inscription of one character inside body near lip.

Historical period(s)
early Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1250-1200 BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H x W x D (assembled): 19.1 × 11.1 × 7.9 cm (7 1/2 × 4 3/8 × 3 1/8 in)
Geography
China, probably Henan province, Anyang
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1954.13
On View Location
Sackler Gallery 23b: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Vessel
Type

Ritual vessel: fangyi

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), China, Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 - ca. 1050 BCE)
Provenance

To 1954
J. T. Tai & Co., New York, New York. [1]

From 1954
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from J. T. Tai & Co., New York, New York. [2]

Notes:

[1] See object file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

J.T. Tai & Co. established in 1950

Description

Smooth grey to green patina; decorations cast in low relief and intaglio. Inscription of one character inside body near lip.

Inscription(s)

Inscribed on an interior wall, Chen 目 (臣) (“Staff Officer”)

Published References
  • Daniel Shapiro. Ancient Chinese Bronzes: A Personal Appreciation. .
  • T'an. Tan-chiung: T'ung ch'i kai shu. Taipei. pls. 54, 39f.
  • Chin wen tsung chi. Taipei. vol. 6: p. 2712.
  • Title unknown. vol. 8 Honolulu, 1954. p. 52.
  • Dem Text Ein Freund: Erkundungen des chinesischen Altertums: Robert H. Gassmann gewidmet. Bern, Germany. p. 181, fig. 6.
  • Dr. John Alexander Pope, Rutherford John Gettens, James Cahill, Noel Barnard. The Freer Chinese Bronzes. Oriental Studies Series, vol. 1, no. 7 Washington. cat. 36, p. 201.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 | Request Permission | Terms of Use