Bulb bowl with impressed character si (four)

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 1
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    15th century
  • Geography

    Henan province, China
  • Material

    Stoneware with Jun glaze
  • Dimension

    H x Diam: 7.8 × 21.9 cm (3 1/16 × 8 5/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1911.339
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1911.339

Object Details

  • Description

    Bulb-bowl: circular, on three cloud-scroll feet. Double row of studs. Incised numeral, ssu (four 四) and spur marks on the base. Wood stand.
    Clay: hard, gray.
    Glaze: misty sky-blue with "earth-worm markings"; olive on salient parts.
  • Provenance

    To 1911
    Chin Tung, China, to 1911 [1]
    From 1911 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Chin Tung, China, in 1911 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 2120, 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

    Chinese Painting and Pottery (May 2, 1923 to March 22, 1943)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Chin Tung (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Henan province, China
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring