Tea or Kumiss Bowl

To 1993
Unknown seller, "Sunday Market," Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to 1993 [1]

From 1993 to 1999
Ambassador and Mrs. Donald C. Johnson, Arlington, VA, purchased from an unknown seller in the "Sunday Market," Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 1993 [2]

From 1999
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, given by Ambassador and Mrs. Donald C. Johnson in 1999

Notes:

[1] The object was acquired by Ambassador and Mrs. Johnson during his term as United States ambassador to Mongolia (see Curatorial Remark 1, Jenny F. So, February 23, 1999, in the object record).

According to an excerpt from a letter (dated April 9, 1999) from Ambassador Johnson to Vidya Dehejia: "This was the second bowl that Nelda and I acquired. We bought it in late 1993 (most likely early October) at Ulaanbaatar's "Sunday Market" on the northern outskirts of the city. The Sunday market was a place where all kinds of things - paint, auto parts, plumbing supplies, clothes, and even silver bowls were offered for sale. Nelda remembers that she bought it from a young woman who followed her through the market negotiating price the whole way. Nelda finally bought it in the market parking lot before we drove off." (see Provenance Remark 1 in the object record).

[2] See note 1.