Ritual wine container (you) in the form of two owls with masks (taotie), dragons, and birds

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial covered vessel, type you, in the form of two horned owls standing back to back. Patination: outside, gray-green with much red (cuprite) in the furrows of the design; inside, bare metal with incrustations of malachite, cuprite, and azurite.

• Label

  This container was intended to hold ritual wine. Its squat shape accommodates a pair of owls standing back to back on short legs. Scale patterns on the legs, bodies, wings, and tails make the birds stand out from the background. On the lid, the owls’ heads have large, round eyes, down-turned beaks, small ears, and large horns. They are recognizable enough to be identified as Bubo bubo, the eagle owl of Europe and Asia (a relative of the great horned owl).

• Provenance

  From 1941 to 1942

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York in November 1941 [1]

  From 1942

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on July 24, 1942 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See C. T. Loo's stockcard no. 87515: "Bronze jar with cover SHANG," C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file. The vessel was brought by Loo to the Freer Gallery for examination on March 19, 1942.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated July 24, 1942, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)

  Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes (November 20, 2010 to January 3, 2016)

  Clay and Metal: Ancient Chinese Ceramics and Metal (February 25, 1997 to August 9, 2011)

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

  Chinese Art (June 15, 1982 to September 24, 1982)

  Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

  Chinese Art (March 9, 1981 to March 12, 1982)

  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 Jade and Bronze (August 26, 1955 to October 25, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1955 (October 24, 1955 to February 25, 1956)

  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)

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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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

  Bronze, Art, Animals, Sculpture, Owl, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Birds, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)