Mirror with figures and chariots

Object Details

• Description

  Surface: dark olive green patina on the back; brilliant bluish gray with patches of light green on the face; earthy adhesions. Decoration: figures and horse-drawn chariots in relief; engraved border.

• Provenance

  By 1936

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York, NY from at least February 1, 1937 [1]

  From 1937

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on May 3, 1937 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] C. T. Loo's Approval Memo, dated February 1, 1936, on C. T. Loo & Company, Chinese Art letterhead, no. 36/068, “Large mirror high relief decoration of chariot with horses and various figures and birds – TSIN (255-206 B.C.),” copy in object file.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated May 3, 1937, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

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

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

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

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork and Painting, East Corridor (February 15, 1955 to August 26, 1955)

  Special Mirror Exhibition (November 16, 1954 to February 25, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1946 (May 7, 1946 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1944 (November 15, 1944 to May 6, 1946)

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

• Previous custodian or owner

  C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)

• Origin

  Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Mirror

• 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

  100s, 200s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province

• Topic

  Bronze, Art, Sculpture, Han dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D., Chinese Art, Chariot, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Mirrors