Pewter container with lid for water

A pewter circular container with lid covered with quilted blue cotton fabric, to hold hot water as a warming device.

Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, ca. 1900
Medium
Pewter, quilted blue cotton fabric
Dimensions
H x W: 17.1 x 14.3 cm (6 3/4 x 5 5/8 in)
Geography
China, Tianjin
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1984.38.1a-c
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Metalwork, Vessel
Type

Jar

Keywords
China, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Robert Hatfield Ellsworth collection
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

A pewter circular container with lid covered with quilted blue cotton fabric, to hold hot water as a warming device.

Inscription(s)

Two oval marks appear on the interior of the circular lid:

1. Tiantong (^c^)--a seal that frequently appears on Chinese pewter vessels. The characters apparently are meant to be interpreted as "decorated metal."

2. Characters give the name of the city of Tianjin (^c^) and those of a shop, Yongcheng (^c^). Several smaller Chinese characters at the bottom of the second mark cannot be deciphered.

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