Ritual wine cup (zhi) with cover

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel, type chih. Cover. Surface: smooth silvery green patina with patches of rough green; earthy adhesions. Decoration: in low relief, except for incised lines on the knob. Inscriptions in vessel and cover.

• Provenance

  From at least 1937 to 1938

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

  From 1938

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on February 4, 1938 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See C. T. Loo's stockcard no. L 36/34: "Bronze vase with cover, light green patina, Cho[u], 6th century," with an annotation that Loo was in possession of the vessel in November 1937, C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice dated January 17, 1938, with an annotation that it was passed for payment on February 4, 1938, copy in object file. According to C. T. Loo's stockcard cited above, the vessel was sold on February 9, 1938.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  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 Art, 1955 (October 24, 1955 to February 25, 1956)

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

  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)

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Wine and wine making, Art, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)