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At A Glance

  • Period

    1723-1735 or early 20th century
  • Geography

    Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China
  • Material

    Porcelain with lead-silicate enamels over clear colorless glaze
  • Dimension

    H x W: 12.2 x 7.5 cm (4 13/16 x 2 15/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1945.5
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1945.5

Object Details

  • Description

    Polychrome. Vase: bottle shaped, handles on neck.
    Clay: fine-grained, hard, pure white, very thin.
    Glaze: high-fired, perfectly transparent.
    Decoration: outside, except handles and foot, an even coat of opaque pink enamel on which are chrysanthemums, fruit, and butterflies in enamels of the "famille rose."
    On the foot, a four-character mark of the Yung-cheng period in overglaze gray-blue enamel.
  • Marks

    On the foot, a four character mark of the Yung-cheng period in overglaze, gray-blue enamel.
  • Provenance

    From at least 1931
    Charles Ernst Russell (1866-1960), London and Kingsford near Colchester, from at least 1931 [1]
    C. T. Loo & Company, New York and Paris, purchased at the sale of Charles E. Russell's collection [2]
    H. L. Hsieh, New York, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company [3]
    From probably 1944 to 1945
    C. T. Loo & Company, New York purchased back from Mr. Hsieh, probably in 1944 [4]
    From 1945
    Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company, New York on January 19, 1945 [5]
    Notes:
    [1] See R. L. Hobson et al., Chinese Ceramics in Private Collections (London: Halton & Truscott Smith, 1931), p. 198, fig. 358. According to information provided by C. T. Loo, the vase was brought to England by Russell in the 1920s, see John A. Pope' curatorial remark, dated 1949, in object file.
    [2] According to information provided by C. T. Loo to John A. Pope, see J. A. Pope's curatorial remark, 1949, in object file.
    [3] See C. T. Loo's stockcard no. NYL-44/562: "Porcelain bottle, eggshell, famille rose flowers decorations on a pink background. Ku Yueh Hsuan style," C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file.
    [4] See Loo's stockcard cited above.
    [5] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated January 19, 1945, copy in object file.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Chinese Flower Paintings (March 18, 1983 to September 22, 1983)
    Chinese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to September 4, 1980)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Charles Ernst Russell
    Mr. H. L. Hsieh
    C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)
  • Origin

    Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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