Tomb vessel with lid ("hill jar")

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

On View
  • Period

    early 1st-early 3rd century
  • Geography

    China
  • Material

    Earthenware with copper-green lead-silicate glaze
  • Dimension

    H x Diam: 22.7 × 20.3 cm (8 15/16 × 8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1906.246a-b
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1906.246a-b

Object Details

  • Description

    " Hill-jar": cylindrical, tripod. Cover. Broken and repaired. Glazed pottery.
    Clay: fine, soft, pinkish.
    Glaze: light-green with silvery iridescence. Inside, brilliant yellow.
    Decoration: band of animal forms and two rudimentary handles molded in relief. Incised design at rim. Legs, bear-shaped. Cover molded in seventeen peaks; animals in relief.
  • Provenance

    To 1906
    Yamanaka & Company, to 1906 [1]
    From 1906 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1906 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1473, 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
  • Exhibition History

    The Peacock Room Comes to America [2022] (September 3, 2022 - ongoing)
    The Peacock Room Comes to America [2017-2019] (October 14, 2017 to January 2, 2019)
    The Peacock Room Comes to America [2011-2016] (April 9, 2011 to January 4, 2016)
    Untitled Exhibition, Chinese and Korean Ceramics (March 22, 1943 to November 13, 1944)
    Chinese Panels and Han Pottery (February 25, 1925 to July 19, 1943)
    Japanese and Korean Pottery, and Korean Bronze (May 2, 1923 to March 22, 1943)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    China
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • On View

    Freer Gallery 12: The Peacock Room Comes to America
  • Restrictions and Rights

    CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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