Ritual wine container (zun) with masks (taotie)

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel, type zun. Light green patina. Traces of reddish and black pigments in the design. Incrustations of cuprite and azurite inside. Inscribed on the bottom of the interior, Ya Mo Quan Fu Ding 亚莫犬(獏)父丁 (“Deputy Officer of the Hounds [for the Royal Hunting Grounds] at Mo (made for) Deceased Father Ding”).

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Provenance

  From 1941 to 1943

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

  From 1943

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on December 8, 1943 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See C. T. Loo's stockcard no. 87477: "Bronze Tsun relief [masks]. Shang," C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated December 8, 1943, copy in object file.

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Sackler Gallery 24c: 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

  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