Bowl with design of two fish

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    16th century
  • Geography

    Pengcheng (modern Handan), Hebei province, China
  • Material

    Stoneware with two shades of iron pigment under clear glaze; gold lacquer repairs
  • Dimension

    H x Diam: 14.7 × 26.5 cm (5 13/16 × 10 7/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1906.37
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1906.37

Object Details

  • Description

    Bowl: large, deep on bold basal ring. Badly cracked, and repaired with gold lacquer and brass staples.
    Clay: hard, gray.
    Glaze: cream slip under colorless transparent glaze; closely crackled and stained. Unglazed ring in bottom.
    Decoration: fish and leaf design painted in black and brown under glaze.
  • 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. 1456, 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

    On the River (April 01, 1995 to January 23, 1996)
  • Previous custodian or owner

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

    Pengcheng (modern Handan), Hebei province, China
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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