Lidded ritual vessel (hu) with birds and snake

Historical period(s)
early Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty, ca. 1300-1200 BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H x Diam (overall): 22.5 x 12.2 cm (8 7/8 x 4 13/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S2012.9.572a-b
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceremonial Object, Metalwork
Type

Ritual vessel: hu

Keywords
Anyang period (ca. 1300 - ca. 1050 BCE), bird, China, hu, Paul Singer collection, snake
Provenance

To ?
The Mount Trust Collection, England. [1]

To 1976
John Sparks, Ltd., London, England. [2]

From 1976 to 1997
Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997), Summit, New Jersey, purchased from John Sparks, Ltd., London, England. [3]

From 1997 to 1999
In the custody of Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC [4]

From 1999
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler. [5]

Notes:

[1] The object was formerly in the Mount Trust Collection formed by Captain Vivian Bulkeley-Johnson (d. 1968).

[2] According to notes from Thomas Lawton, Pual Singer purchased the vessel from John Sparks in 1976. See Curatorial Remark 2 in the object record.

[3] See note 2.

[4] Between 1997 and 1999, The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art was in the custody of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC

[5] See ā€œThe Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art Gift Agreementā€ from March 1999, Collections Management Office. The object was formally accessioned into the museumā€™s permanent collection in 2012.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

The Mount Trust
John Sparks, Ltd. 1890-1992
Dr. Paul Singer 1904-1997

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