Minqing ware bowl, possibly used in Japan as a tea bowl

Object Details

• Description

  Bowl, flaring, with heavy, thickened lip; low foot, beveled edge.

  Clay: dense, resonant white porcelain, stained and dirty on exposed surface.

  Glaze: originally white. Gray appearance where stained in abrasions, expecially on running drops. Stops in irregular line well short of foot.

• Provenance

  To 1897

  Yamanaka & Company, to 1897 [1]

  From 1897 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1897 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 511, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Minqing kilns, Fuzhou, Fujian province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1000s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  China, Fujian province, Minqing kilns, Fuzhou

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Porcelain, Art, Chinese Art, Ceramics, Northern Song dynasty (960 - 1127), Minqing ware

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)