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Ritual wine container (fangyi) with masks(taotie), serpents, and birds

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At A Glance

Period

ca. 1100 BCE
Geography

Luoyang, probably Henan province, China
Material

Bronze
Dimension

H x W x D: 35.3 x 24.8 x 23.3 cm (13 7/8 x 9 3/4 x 9 3/16 in)
Accession Number

F1930.54a-b
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_F1930.54a-b

Object Details

Description

Ceremonial vessel with cover, type fangyi. White bronze patinated with azurite (chiefly inside), malachite and cuprite. Two inscriptions in ancient seal script.
Inscriptions

1. Two inscriptions in ancient seal script. See original folder sheet note 3 (A.G.W., 1944).
Label

Despite the beauty of its decoration, with elaborate taotie patterns and animal motifs rendered in different levels of relief, this vessel is most famous for its lengthy cast inscription of 187 characters. The text, one of the longest from the early Zhou period, is repeated inside the vessel and the lid. A court scribe named Ling might have composed the text himself; the cast inscription resembles the rhythm and flow of calligraphy. If so, he could have been following a family tradition: he was a younger relative of Da, who was responsible for the fangding (F1950.7) in the Freer collection.

The vessel commemorates three days of administrative meetings and ritual ceremonies held in Chengzhou during the reign of Zhao, the fourth Zhou monarch. Mingbao, the son of the Duke of Zhou and a nephew of the Taibao, led the events, which began with a massive gathering of court and regional officials and concluded with offerings of animal sacrifices. Afterwards, in appreciation of their efforts, Mingbao awarded ritual wine, “metal” (probably bronze), and oxen to Ling and his colleague Captain Kang, with the order that the gifts be used for ritual purposes.
Provenance

To 1930

Tonying and Company, New York, to 1930 [1]

From 1930

Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Tonying and Company, New York, in 1930 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file, undated folder sheet note. See also Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

[2] See note 1.
Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History

Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)

Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes (November 20, 2010 to January 3, 2016)

Clay and Metal: Ancient Chinese Ceramics and Metal (February 25, 1997 to August 9, 2011)

Chinese Metalwork (May 9, 1993 to March 21, 1997)

From Concept to Context: Approaches to Asian and Islamic Calligraphy (July 28, 1986 to February 6, 1987)

Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)

Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

Chinese Art (June 15, 1982 to September 24, 1982)

Chinese Art (March 9, 1981 to March 12, 1982)

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

Chinese Bronze, Jade, Marble (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)

Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)

Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Jade and Bronze (August 26, 1955 to October 25, 1955)

Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1955 (October 24, 1955 to February 25, 1956)

Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1945 (January 9, 1945 to August 20, 1955)

Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1944 (December 13, 1944 to May 7, 1946)

Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to December 13, 1944)

Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)

Untitled Exhibition, Shahnama and Chinese Art (March 24, 1930 to May 5, 1933)
Previous custodian or owner

Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902)
Origin

Luoyang, probably Henan province, China
Credit Line

Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Type

Vessel
Restrictions and Rights

CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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