Spouted ritual vessel (he) with dragons

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel, type huo; cover in the form of a human face with horns. Patination: outside, gray-green with sparse malachite incrustations; inside, gray, gray-green, malachite, cuprite, azurite and calcareous deposit.

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Provenance

  Excavated in Anyang, Henan province, China [1]

  From 1940 to 1941

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York from November 1940 [2]

  From 1941

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on September 29, 1941 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Mizuno Seiichi, In Shu seidoki to tama (Tokyo, Nihon Keizai Shinbunsha, 1959), p. 63, pls. 40, 41.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's stockcard no. 87003: "Bronze jar with cover Chou

  Bronze TSUN with cover in the form of a Human mask with ornaments. Turquoise patina SHANG," C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file. The object was taken by Loo to the Freer Gallery for examination on January 17, 1941.

  [3] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated September 29, 1941, copy in object file.

• 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

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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, Art, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 - ca. 1050 BCE)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes