Sword pommel with dragons

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    206 BCE-9 CE
  • Geography

    China
  • Material

    Jade (nephrite)
  • Dimension

    Diam x D: 5.3 x 0.8 cm (2 1/16 x 5/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1939.15
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1939.15

Object Details

  • Description

    Ornament. Perforated disk of translucent gray nephrite with dark flecks; center plug of another material; countersunk reliefs of dragons and spirals; three holes for attachment.
  • Provenance

    About 1930
    Reportedly discovered in archaeological site at Shou xian, Anhui province, China [1]
    ?–1939
    Zhang Naiji (1899–1948), Shanghai, China, and New York, NY, from at least April 17, 1939 [2]
    From 1939
    Freer Gallery of Art, purchased through C. T. Loo and Company, New York, from Zhang Naiji on April 17, 1939 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] According to information provided by Zhang Naiji to John Ellerton Lodge at the time of acquisition, see John Ellerton Lodge’s note, 1939, in object file. Zhang Naiji stated that he had obtained the jades, selected by the Freer Gallery from a group of about 350 pieces offered for sale (F1939.6–F1939.26 and F1939.28–F1939.33), at the places of their excavation. Lodge commented in his 1939 note: “I see no good reason to doubt [Zhang’s] statement. I have, therefore, specified Shou Chou [Shou xian], or An yang, or Lo yang [Luoyang] (Chin Ts’un [Jincun]) as the source of a piece in accordance with Mr. Chang’s [Zhang’s] designations given in my presence and recorded by me.”
    [2] See note 1. See also “List of objects contemplated for purchase by Freer Gallery of Art,” approved on February 1, 1939, Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, copy in object file. According to an annotation on the list, the purchase was made from C. T. Loo and Company, New York, acting as agent for the owner and the payment was made on April 17, 1939. Zhang Naiji (also known as N. C. Chang) was a businessman, born to a prestigious family in Zhejiang that made their wealth in the silk and salt industries. He collected ancient Chinese art objects and Chinese coins. Zhang amassed his collection whilst living in Shanghai, before leaving for America in 1938. Zhang did not return to China until 1946. While the earliest documentation of Zhang’s ownership of the jade dates to February 1939, we know that he acquired the objects in China before his departure.
    [3] See “List of objects contemplated for purchase by Freer Gallery of Art,” approved on February 1, 1939, cited in note 2.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    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, Chinese Art, 1955 (August 26, 1955 to October 25, 1955)
    Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1945 (January 9, 1945 to August 20, 1955)
    Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1944 (November 15, 1944 to May 6, 1946)
    Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1943 (March 22, 1943 to November 17, 1944)
    Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork (March 14, 1931 to March 22, 1943)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)
    C. T. Loo 盧芹齋 (1880-1957)
  • Origin

    China
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
  • Type

    Weapon and Armament
  • Restrictions and Rights

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