Ritual wine cup (gu) with masks (taotie), snakes, and cicadas

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel, type ku. Silvery gray and gray-green patina with scattered incrustations of malachite and cuprite (?) outside and in. Cast inscription of 2 characters inside the base.

• Previous custodian or owner

  T. Mori

• Provenance

  Probably found at Anyang, Henan Province, China [1]

  To 1940

  T. Mori, Japan to 1940

  From 1940

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from T. Mori, Japan, through George Abo, Boston in 1940 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Keith Wilson's curatorial remark, dated March 2009, in database record.

  [2] Undated folder sheet note. For additional information, see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

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

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Mori, T.

• Place

  China, Henan province, Anyang

• Topic

  Wine and wine making, Art, Inscriptions, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Masks

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes