Ritual wine ewer (gong) with masks (taotie) , dragons, and real animals

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial covered vessel, type guang, evenly patinated outside in shades of gray-green with flecks of cuprite; inside, some azurite with areas of original metal; few incrustations.

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Provenance

  In 1939

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York from March 23, 1939 [1]

  From 1939

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on November 30, 1939 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See C. T. Loo's stockcard no. 81966: "Bronze wine vessel with cover, Chou," C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file. See also "List of objects owned by C. T. Loo & Co., New York [left] at the Gallery for examination," with annotation that the bronze was left by Loo at the Freer Gallery on May 14, 1939, in object file.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated November 30, 1939, copy in object file.

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Sackler Gallery 23a: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China, Henan province, Anyang

• Topic

  Wine and wine making, Rabbits, Art, Animals, Chinese Art, Fishes, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Birds, Dragon, Elephants

• Culture

  Chinese

• Tax Class

  Mammalia

• Tax Order

  Proboscidea

• Tax Family

  Elephantidae

• Tax Phylum

  Chordata

• Common Name

  Elephants

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• Tax Kingdom

  Animalia

• On View

  Yes