Wine flask (bianhu) with geometric decoration
Terms of Use
Creative CommonsAt A Glance
On View
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Period
ca. 3rd century BCE -
Geography
Henan or Hebei province, China -
Material
Bronze with silver inlay -
Dimension
H x W x D (overall): 31.3 x 30.5 x 11.7 cm (12 5/16 x 12 x 4 5/8 in) -
Accession Number
F1915.103a-b -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1915.103a-b
Object Details
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Description
Ceremonial vessel of the type "pien-hu" (side cracked); the body rectangular in section; two loose-ring handles; wooden stand. Crusted patination in shades of red, brown, and green cleaned off and rubbed down. Over-all decoration inlaid with silver. -
Provenance
To 1915Marcel Bing (1875-1920), Paris, France [1]1915Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), Washington, DC and Mt. Kisco, NY purchased on behalf of Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) from Marcel Bing through C. T. Loo of Lai Yuan & Co., New York in early December 1915 [2]1915 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Eugene Meyer on December 14, 1915 [3]From 1920Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]Notes:[1] Bing’s ownership is documented in several locations. See, for example: November 11, 1915 letter from Marcel Bing to Charles Lang Freer; letters from December 10 and 15 from Eugene Meyer to Charles Lang Freer; telegrams exchanged between Marcel Bing, Charles Lang Freer, and Eugene Meyer dating from November 15 to December 5, 1915; February 2, 1916 letter from Charles Lang Freer to Marcel Bing; and Freer Gallery of Art Original Bronze List S.I. 671. Copies of aforementioned documents in object file.[2] Eugene Meyer, Agnes E. Meyer, and Charles Lang Freer negotiated with Marcel Bing to arrange a joint purchase of Bing’s collection of 11 Chinese bronzes and 1 jade. See correspondence cited in note 1. The Meyers and Freer decided to divide the collection - Meyers acquiring 5 bronzes and Freer acquiring 6 bronzes in addition to the jade – and the price, calculating each party’s payment was based on the appraisal values assigned to each piece. The Meyers ultimately sent the entire payment to C. T. Loo, Lai Yuan & Company (sometimes spelled Lai-Yuan), who in turn wired money to Bing. Meyers made the payment in early December 1915, with Freer paying the Meyers for the objects destined for his collection on December 14, 1915.See also: Freer Gallery of Art, Original Bronze List, S. I. 670; invoices from Lai Yuan & Company addressed to Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Meyer and Mr. Charles L. Freer; and Dorota Chudzicka, “’In Love at First Sight Completely, Hopelessly, and Forever with Chinse Art’: The Eugene and Agnes Meyer Collection of Chinese Art at the Freer Gallery of Art” in Collections Vol. 10, No. 3 (Summer 2014), p. 334-335, copies in object file.All the objects included in this large sale, which were originally divided between the Meyers and Freer, are now in the museum’s collection ( F1915.102; F1915.03a-b; F1915.104; F1915.105; F1915.106a-f; F1915.107; F1915.108; F1961.30a-b; F1961.32a-b; F1968.28; F1968.29).[3] See Original Bronze List, S.I. 671, copy in object file. See also note 2.[4] 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
Art and Industry: China’s Houma Foundry (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)Clay and Metal: Ancient Chinese Ceramics and Metal (February 25, 1997 to August 9, 2011)Chinese Metalwork (May 9, 1993 to March 21, 1997)Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)Chinese Art of the Warring States Period: Change and Community, 480-222 B.C. (September 30, 1982 to February 17, 1983)Chinese Art (March 9, 1981 to March 12, 1982)Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)Chinese Bronze, Jade, Metalwork (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1955 (August 26, 1955 to October 25, 1955)Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1946 (May 7, 1946 to February 25, 1956)Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1944 (November 15, 1944 to May 6, 1946)Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to November 17, 1944)Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)Stone Sculpture, Buddhist Bronze, and Chinese Painting (May 2, 1923 to February 25, 1956) -
Previous custodian or owner
Marcel Bing (1875-1920)Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer ((1875-1959) and (1887-1970))C. T. Loo 盧芹齋 (1880-1957)Lai-Yuan & Company (ca. 1915-April 1921) (C.L. Freer source)Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) -
Origin
Henan or Hebei province, China -
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer -
Type
Vessel -
On View
Freer Gallery 18: Art and Industry: China's Ancient Houma Foundry -
Restrictions and Rights
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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