Lidded cylindrical tripod cup with ring handle, birds, dragons, trefoil, raised uniform curls arranged in a grid, and raised linked curls

Object Details

• Description

  Nephrite cup with cover; decoration in relief and incised; wooden stand.

• Provenance

  From at least 1939 to 1947

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York, from at least January 10, 1939 [1]

  From 1947

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on May 7, 1947 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] The object was lent by C. T. Loo to the Arden Gallery in 1939; see 3000 Years of Chinese Jade, exh. cat. (New York: Arden Gallery, January 10 - February 11, 1939), cat. 184 (ill.). See also C. T. Loo's stockcard no. 80121: "Jade deep cylindrical tripod cup with one handle and a cover surmounted by three small curled animals on a geometrical pattern. The cup is decorated with two dragons and a t'ao t'ieh mask handle on a geometrical pattern. HAN," C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, copy in object file.

  In June 1944, the cup was brought to the Freer Gallery for examination.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated May 7, 1947, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  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)

  Archaic Chinese Jades, Special Exhibition (February 1940)

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1990s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Animals, Chinese Art, Nephrite, Birds, Forgery, Jade, Modern period (1912 - present), Dragon

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)