Box

Object Details

• Description

  Box, cylindrical covered. Cover broken in two and repaired.

  Clay: hard, dense.

  Glaze: grayish-green celadon, with bluish trend.

  Decoration: incised and inlaid with white and black in paste under glaze: on lid, central floral medallion, surrounded by band of chrysanthemum vinescroll; lotus-petal band on shoulder; key fret band at edge. On body, key fret band below edge.

  Contains marks.

• Marks

  Three small silica spur-marks.

• Label

  Boxes like this were part of a wealthy woman's personal possessions and often were buried with her. They are excavated from tombs of the nobility together with ceramic hair-oil bottles and bronze mirrors, needle cases, and hairpins.

• Provenance

  To 1909

  Yamanaka & Company, New York to 1909 [1]

  From 1909 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1909 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1914, 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

  Cranes and Clouds: The Korean Art of Ceramic Inlay (November 5, 2011 to January 3, 2016)

  Korean Ceramics (February 4, 1997 to August 7, 2011)

  Korean Ceramics of the Koryo Dynasty (May 9, 1993 to August 7, 2011)

  Korean Art (March 20, 1980 to March 3, 1981)

  Korean Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to October 13, 1978)

  Untitled Exhibition, Korean Ceramics with Korean and Japanese Paintings (February 15, 1955 to April 13, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, East Asian Ceramics and Paintings, East Corridor (January 8, 1947 to ---)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1946 (May 6, 1946 to November 17, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork, Pottery, and Painting (March 23, 1944 to May 2, 1946)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese and Korean Ceramics (March 22, 1943 to November 13, 1944)

  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

  Gangjin or Buan kilns, Jeolla-do province, Korea

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Container

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1200s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  Gangjin, Jeolla-do province, Buan kilns, Korea

• Topic

  Goryeo period (918 - 1392), Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Inlay (process), Chrysanthemum, Green glaze, Stoneware, Korean Art, Ceramics, Flowers

• Culture

  Koreans

• Object Type

  Containers