Tomb censer

Object Details

• Description

  Censer in the form of a vessel with a stem attached to saucer-like base. Rough conical lid has 4 triangular projections formed of the clay cut from the body and pushed outward, leaving 4 openings. Glazed pottery.

  Clay: soft, reddish pottery.

  Glaze: light green; silvery iridescence, partly disintegrated.

  Decoration: band of triangular depressions around lid.

• Provenance

  To 1919

  C.D. McGrath, New York, NY, to 1919 [1]

  1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from C.D. McGrath in 1919 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 2611, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. According to Curatorial Remark 2 in the object record, this censer and lid were originally accessioned as F1919.4b-c; see folder sheet for F1919.4 for more information.

  [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

  Chinese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to September 4, 1980)

• Previous custodian or owner

  C. D. McGrath (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

  200s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, McGrath, C. D.

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Han dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D., Chinese Art, Incense, Pottery, Iridescence, Ceramics

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)