Ritual food vessel (gui)

Object Details

• Description

  Kuei with two handles and a high base. The main decoration on the body of the kuei consists of two pairs of horned monsters with spined circular bodies superimposed against a lei-wen [Ch] ground. A naturalistically modeled ram's head surmounts the low, rounded flange that separates each pair of horned monsters. At the top of the handles are ram's heads modeled in the round, beneath which are bird and cervine masks sharing a single pair of horns.

  The lower section of the curved handles is decorated with a raised diamond pattern ending in a caudal fin, while the claws and tail of a bird are modeled in low relief on the sides of the large, rectangular plaques that are attached to the lower part of the handles. A stylized cicada appears on the body of the kuei in the space between the ends of the handles. Eight k'uei [Ch] dragons against a lei-wen background ornament the surface of the high base.

• Inscriptions

  On the inner bottom of the kuei is a ten-character inscription.

• Provenance

  Possibly the Qing dynasty imperial collection [1]

  To 1915

  Marcel Bing (1875-1920), Paris, France [2]

  1915 to 1959

  Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), Washington, DC and Mt. Kisco, NY, purchased from Marcel Bing through C. T. Loo, Lai Yuan & Co., New York in December 1915 [3]

  1959 to 1961

  Agnes E. Meyer inherited upon the death of her husband, Eugene Meyer on July 17, 1959 [4]

  From 1961

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer, 1961 [5]

  Notes:

  [1] A bronze qui with a very similar decoration and inscription has been included in the catalogue Xi Qing xujian, jiabian, one of the four imperial catalogues compiled during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, in years 1781/82-1793/94, see Xi Qing xujian, jiabian (Shanghai: Shangwu yinshuguan, 1911), vol. 6, p. 41a-b. See also Rong Geng, "Xi Qing jinwen zhenwei cunyi biao," Yanjing xuebao 5 (June 1929), p. 838. This bronze was possibly among the treasures taken from the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) by French and English troops in 1860 or from the palace in Peking during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.

  [2] Bing's ownership is documented in several locations. See, for example: November 11, 1915 letter from Marcel Bing to Charles Lang Freer; letters from December 10 and 15 from Eugene Meyer to Charles Lang Freer; telegrams exchanged between Marcel Bing, Charles Lang Freer, and Eugene Meyer dating from November 15 to December 5, 1915 and

  February 2, 1916 letter from Charles Lang Freer to Marcel Bing. Copies of aforementioned documents in object file.

  [3] Eugene Meyer, Agnes E. Meyer, and Charles Lang Freer negotiated with Marcel Bing to arrange a joint purchase of Bing's collection of 11 Chinese bronzes and 1 jade. See correspondence cited in note 2. The Meyers and Freer decided to divide the collection - Meyers acquiring 5 bronzes (including this object) and Freer acquiring 6 bronzes in addition to the jade -- and the price, calculating each party's payment was based on the appraisal values assigned to each piece. The Meyers ultimately sent the entire payment to C. T. Loo, Lai Yuan & Company (sometimes spelled Lai-Yuan), who in turn wired money to Bing. Lai Yuan & Company received a consigners fee from Bing. Meyers made the payment in early December 1915, with Freer paying the Meyers for the objects destined for his collection on December 14, 1915.

  All the objects included in this large sale, which were originally divided between the Meyers and Freer, are now in the museum's collection ( F1915.102; F1915.03a-b; F1915.104; F1915.105; F1915.106a-f; F1915.107; F1915.108; F1961.30a-b; F1961.32a-b; F1968.28; F1968.29). For a full explanation of the joint endeavor between the Meyers and Freer, see: Dorota Chudzicka, "'In Love at First Sight Completely, Hopelessly, and Forever with Chinese Art': The Eugene and Agnes Meyer Collection of Chinese Art at the Freer Gallery of Art" in Collections Vol. 10, No. 3 (Summer 2004), 334-335.

  Shortly after the acquisition, the Meyers lent this bronze to an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, see S. C. Bosch Reitz, Catalogue of an Exhibition of Early Chinese Pottery and Sculpture, exh. cat. (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1916),

  image 336.

  [4] Eugene Meyer died in Washington D.C. on July 17, 1959. Upon his death, his wife, Agnes E. Meyer inherited the entirety of the couple's collection.

  [5] See Agnes E. Meyer's Deed of Gift, dated December 21, 1961, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Freer’s Global Network: Artists, Collectors, and Dealers (October 15, 2022 - ongoing)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Marcel Bing (1875-1920)

  Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer ((1875-1959) and (1887-1970))

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Freer Gallery 09: Freer’s Global Network

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Meyer, Eugene and Agnes E., Bing, Marcel

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE), Art, Animals, Rams, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Monsters, Birds, Dragon, Metal-work, Food

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes