Ritual wine warmer (jia) with taotie and birds

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel of the type "chia." Cracked at the base of both posts. Wood stand.

  Surface: dark green patina.

  Decoration: in low and high relief and in the round.

• Label

  Crested birds top the posts and bovine heads embellish the side handle. Two bands of decoration are composed of three taotie flanked by tiny dragons.

• Provenance

  To 1907

  Y. Fujita and Company, Japan, to 1907 [1]

  From 1907 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Y. Fujita and Company, Japan in 1907 [1]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Bronze List, S.I. 31, pg. 21, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [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

  Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes (November 20, 2010 to January 3, 2016)

  Ancient Chinese Bronzes (May 9, 1993 to February 10, 1997)

  Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)

  Studies in Connoisseurship 1923-1983 (September 23, 1983 to March 1, 1984)

  Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

  Chinese Art (June 15, 1982 to September 24, 1982)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Y. Fujita and Company (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Yangzi River Valley, 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 1000s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Fujita

• Place

  China, Yangzi River Valley

• Topic

  Bronze, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Animals, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Birds, Taotie, Masks, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)