Ritual vessel (lei) with dragons

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel of the type lei. Wood stand.

  Surface: rough green and blue patination with patches of smoother dull black.

  Decoration: in low relief.

• Inscriptions

  1-character inscription

• Provenance

  To 1907

  Unknown owner, China, to 1907 [1]

  1907

  Shinsuke Hayashi, Kyoto, Japan, acquired in 1907 [2]

  From 1907 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Shinsuke Hayashi in Japan in 1907 [3]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Remark 3 in the object record, Charles Lang Freer noted: "Mr. Hayashi, a leading dealer in Kyoto, from whom I bought this jar in 1907, told me that it came direct to him from China the same year."

  [2] See note 1. Also, see Original Bronze List, S.I. 28, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] 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 Power to See Beauty (October 14, 2017 to September 6, 2022)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to December 13, 1944)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)

  Chinese Jades and Bronze, East Corridor (November 19, 1923 to March 14, 1931)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Shinsuke Hayashi 林新助 (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Shinsuke, Hayashi

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Sculpture, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Chinese Art, Spring and Autumn period (770 - 476 BCE), Dragon, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)