Ritual bell (dotaku)

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

On View
  • Period

    2nd century
  • Geography

    Kinki region, Japan
  • Material

    Bronze
  • Dimension

    H x W: 95.7 x 50.8 cm (37 11/16 x 20 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1968.73
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1968.73

Object Details

  • Provenance

    ?-1968
    Kochukyo Company, Ltd. 壺中居, Tokyo, Japan, method of acquisition unknown [1]
    From 1968
    Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Kochukyo Co., Ltd [2]
    Notes:
    [1] Kochukyo Company, Ltd. presented the object to John A. Pope, Director of the Freer Gallery of Art when Pope traveled to Japan in the spring of1968. See letter from Hiroshi Hirota of Kochukyo Co., Ltd. to Mr. John A Pope, May 8, 1968, original in object file.
    [2] On July 13, 1968, Kochukyo Co., Ltd. exported the object to Washington, DC via Northwest Orient airline, see customs documentation in object file. The Freer Gallery of Art received an invoice for the sale on November 25, 1968, and issued payment on December 3, 1968, see Kochukyo Co., Ltd. invoice, November 25, 1968, original in object file.
    Research Completed on November 3, 2022.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Connecting Stories at the National Museum of Asian Art (April 29, 2023 - ongoing)
    Japanese Art (April 11, 1978 to March 6, 1981)
    Japanese Art: Painting and Sculpture (July 1, 1966 to May 2, 1973)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Kochukyo Co. Ltd. 壺中居 (established 1924)
  • Origin

    Kinki region, Japan
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
  • Type

    Ceremonial Object
  • On View

    Sackler Gallery 26: Connecting Stories at the National Museum of Asian Art
  • Restrictions and Rights

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