Bottle

Object Details

• Description

  Vase (meiping). Baluster form with spreading base; low basal ring. Blue-and-white.

  Clay: dense, buff, not very hard. Underfired porcelain.

  Glaze: soft cream-white, discolored. Underfired clear glaze.

  Decoration: painted in cobalt, under glaze. Central motif on shoulder, 2 phoenixes with streaming tails. 4 other tiers of cloud and flower patterns.

• Provenance

  To 1907

  Yamanaka & Company, to 1907 [1]

  From 1907 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), given by Yamanaka & Company in 1907 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note. See Original Pottery List, L. 1601, 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

  Jingdezhen, Jiangxi 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

  1630s, 1550s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Porcelain, Art, Chinese Art, Ceramics, Jingdezhen ware, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)