Pavilion of the Prince of Teng 滕王閣圖

Object Details

• Artist

  Attributed to Xia Yong 夏永 (active mid-14th century)

• Label

  The Pavilion of the Prince of Teng was located on the city wall of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, facing the Gan River. Originally constructed in 653 by Li Yuanying, who was a son of Emperor Gaozu (reigned 618-26), founder of the Tang dynasty (618-907), the pavilion underwent at least twenty-eight renovations before its final destruction in 1926, almost thirteen hundred years later. The main hall containing three stories was flanked by two smaller structures, one of which can be seen in the lower part of the painting.

  A popular destination for visitors and tourists, the pavilion also served as a venue for private parties of various kinds, the best known of which occurred in October 675, when the promising young poet Wang Bo (ca. 650-ca. 676) attended a literary gathering at the site and composed a preface for the poems that were written on the occasion. This preface, which is inscribed on the painting in minute characters, is one of the most frequently anthologized compositions in Chinese literature.

  Little is known about the fourteenth-century artist of this work, Xia Yong; however, he was said to have executed his works with a brush as fine as the eyelash of a mosquito and was a master of the jiehua (ruled-line) style of painting.

  To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.

• Provenance

  To 1915

  Tonying and Company, New York to 1915 [1]

  From 1915 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tonying and Company, New York in 1915 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Album List, pg. 48, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. By at least 1917, Tonying and Company maintained business locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, London, and New York, NY. This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.

  [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

  Tales of the Brush: Literary Masterpieces in Chinese Painting (July 28, 2007 to January 13, 2008)

  Boating on a River (February 12 to August 14, 2005)

  Palaces and Pavilions: Grand Architecture in Chinese Painting (September 29, 2002 to March 30, 2003)

  Chinese Ceramics (March 15, 1982 to July 10, 1986)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

  Chinese Album Leaves (December 17, 1962 to April 8, 1963)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tonying and Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Pavilion, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Jiehua, Chinese Art, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings