Pitch-pot

Object Details

• Description

  Hexagonal vessel (with two of the sides wider than the other four, thus providing a front/back-and-sides orientation), tapering slightly towards the top opening, with a pronounced angular bulge around the vessel about one-third from the bottom, and four tall, hexagonal, open-end projections at the top. The entire vessel sits on a high double hexagonal base. Poorly cast in one piece.

  Surface: green patina with heavy incrustations of lighter green and orange-colored earth.

  Decoration: Each of the six panels on the tubular section of the vessel is decorated with a miniature arrow-holder in relief, with the front one holding the greatest number of arrows. Four of these panels bear a two-character inscription above the arrow-holder; they read: ???, "huang-hu" [Chn], "kuan-erh" [Chn], and ? erh [Chn]. Two rows of stylized lotus petals ornament the juncture of the tube and the large projection. On the latter, each of the six panels is decorated with a creature in relief: a "ch'i-lin" and a phoenix on the front and back, two lioins and two stags on the sides. The four projections around the mouth of the vessel have a "lei-wan" background on their panels, and a human figure in relief on the front panel of the front and back projections. Incised floral design on the remaining surfaces. The base simulates a balustrade by means of the shape of its openwork panels.

• Provenance

  To 1911

  Pong, Beijing, to 1911 [1]

  From 1911 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Pong in 1911 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Bronze List, S.I. 222, 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

• Previous custodian or owner

  Pong (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

  1640s, 1300s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Pong

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Inscriptions, Chinese Art, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Lotus

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)