Roof tile

Object Details

• Description

  Roof tile. Lower end damaged; horns missing. Perforation through forehead.

  Clay: soft, dense, gray-white.

  Unglazed: thin wash of black.

  Decoration: monster head and claws in bold relief; border stepped in three planes.

• Provenance

  To 1916

  Wang Jiantang, Shanghai to 1916 [1]

  From 1916 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Wang Jiantang in 1916 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 2478, 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

  Wang Jiantang 王鑑堂 (late 19th-early 20th century) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Architectural Element

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  600s, 500s

• Name

  Wang, Jiantang, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Sui dynasty (581 - 618), Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Chinese Art, Monsters, Tang dynasty (618 - 907), Ceramics

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Architectural elements