Ritual food vessel (ding)

Object Details

• Provenance

  From at least 1953 to 1959

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York, from at least December 1, 1953 [1]

  From 1959

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on August 31, 1959 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See C. T. Loo & Co.'s Approval Memorandum, dated December 1, 1953, where the object is listed under stock no. FC-332: "Bronze sacrificial vessel, TING, on three high straight legs, rounded body with upright lip, handles on rim. Decorated with diamond shaped field with bosses in high relief and a band of stylized birds on meander background. Inscribed. Shang. Green patina," copy in object file.

  A negative of the bronze's photograph is located in C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive, Musée Guimet, Paris, no. (15) cnmB 260-261; its envelope is inscribed with information that the bronze came from Anyang.

  [2] See C. T. Loo & Co.'s invoice, issued by Frank Caro, dated August 31, 1959.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  Special Exhibition—Chinese Bronzes (November 1, 1961 to March 23, 1962)

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

• Previous custodian or owner

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

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

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

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)