Lobed ladle with floral scrolls

Object Details

• Description

  Ladle, with a seven-lobed bowl. Silver. Surface: intact with one small dent in forward lobe of bowl.

• Provenance

  From at least 1929

  Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941), New York and "The Chimneys," Sands Point, Port Washington, Long Island, from at least January 1929 [1]

  From at least 1944

  Tonying and Company, New York, from at least February 1944 [2]

  From 1944

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Tonying and Company on September 21, 1944 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Mrs. Holmes lent the object to the 1929 exhibition in Berlin, Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst (Berlin: Gesellschaft für Ostasiatische Kunst and Preussischen Akademie der Künste, January 12 –April 2, 1929), cat. 425 (ill.) and to the International Exhibition of Chinese Art at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in London in 1935-36, see Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, exh. cat. (London: Royal Academy of Arts, November 1935-March 7, 1936), cat. 786 (ill.).

  [2] See “List of Objects Contemplated for Purchase by the Freer Gallery of Art,” approved by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on February 4, 1944, copy in object file.

  [3] See Tonying & Company’s invoice, dated September 21, 1944, in which the object figures under no. G. 14: “Large Chinese Silver Ladle / Tang,” copy in object file. See also A. G. Wenley’s letter to C. F. Yau, Tonying & Co., dated September 19, 1944, in which Wenley confirms the purchase of the object.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Center of the World: China and the Silk Road (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Silk Road Exhibition (August 18 to December 25, 2011)

  Silk Road Luxuries from China (November 5, 2011 to January 3, 2016)

  Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires (May 9, 1993 to January 28, 2007)

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

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

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

  Chinese Bronze, Jade, Metalwork (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1955 (August 26, 1955 to October 25, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1946 (May 7, 1946 to February 25, 1956)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941)

  Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902)

• Origin

  Probably Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Tool and Equipment

• On View

  Freer Gallery 16: Center of the World: China and the Silk Road

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  600s, 700s

• Name

  Holmes, Christian R., Tonying and Company

• Place

  Shaanxi province, Xi’an, China

• Topic

  Repoussé, Hammering, Art, Punching, Chinese Art, Tang dynasty (618 - 907), Chasing, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Tools and equipment

• On View

  Yes