Image 1 of 1
Download Image IIIF

Terms of Use

Creative Commons

At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 3300-2250 BCE
  • Geography

    Lake Tai region, China
  • Material

    Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimension

    H x Diam: 1.7 x 2.2 cm (11/16 x 7/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1917.378a
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1917.378a

Object Details

  • Description

    Ornament; irregularly rounded bead form with flat ends, perforation bored from both sides leaving slight median ridge; mottled cream and golden tan with dark specklings; one distinct and one rough crescent incised on opposite sides. One of a set; see F1917.378b, F1917.378c, and F1917.378d.
    Acquired with a box, now lost.
  • Provenance

    Reportedly excavated in Shensi [1]
    To 1917
    You Xiaoxi (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1917 [2]
    From 1917 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi in 1917 [3]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]
    Notes:
    [1] According to Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.
    [2] See Original Miscellaneous List, S.I. 1318, pg. 301, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
    [3] See 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

    Studies in Connoisseurship 1923-1983 (September 23, 1983 to March 1, 1984)
    Ancient Chinese Jade (September 4, 1980 to March 6, 1981)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    You Xiaoxi 游篠溪 (late 19th-early 20th century) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Lake Tai region, China
  • Culture

    Liangzhu culture, ca. 3300-ca. 2250 BCE
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Jewelry and Ornament
  • Restrictions and Rights

    CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

    This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. 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