Lamp

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial vessel, probably a lamp; five small bowl-shaped vessels with short open stems feeding down to the hollow tubular rim (for the oil) of a bowl mounted on high flaring base. On this foot are two rows of five sharp-edged openings, squarish in shape, positioned alternately, and one row of eleven below the tubular rim of bowl section. Between this and a round center hole in base of bowl are four small round holes equally spaced around. On the outside of the rim in each of the spaces between the rim-bowls are rough excrescences which appear to be where something has been broken off. It could have been hanging stoneware chains or dangles, such as are seen in a number of Korean Old Silla pieces, especially lamps from the Gold Bell Tomb. The form apparently is wheel-made, was patched when made and has been repaired since. "Blisters" inside foot.

  Clay: dark gray resonant stoneware.

  Glaze: vestiges, very sparse, of natural ash glaze; seen mainly on the rim-bowls.

  Decoration: none except the reticulation of the form itself and the grooving bordering of the reticulated bands.

• Provenance

  From at least 1970 to 1974

  Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, from at least December 18, 1970 [1]

  From 1974

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Mayuyama & Co., Ltd., May 1, 1974 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See correspondence dated December 18, 1970, authorizing Mayuyama & Company to ship the object to the Freer Gallery, copy in object file.

  In Shipping Statement made by Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, dated February 3, 1971, the vessel is listed as "Ceremonial Vessel, from Shimane-ken, North-West of Japan, excavated in the 2nd year of Kyowa (1802 A.D.)"

  An invoice, also issued by Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, on May 1, 1974, classified the vessel as "Japanese pottery ceremonial vessel; Suiko period; from Shimane-ken; Sue type."

  [2] See Invoice issued by Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, on May 1, 1974, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Korean Art (December 17, 1984 to June 23, 1986)

  Korean Art (March 20, 1982 to 2 April 1984)

  Korean Art (June 4, 1982 to September 23, 1982)

  Korean Art (July 15, 1981 to September 15, 1981)

  Korean Art (March 20, 1980 to March 3, 1981)

  Korean Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to October 13, 1978)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Mayuyama & Co., Ltd. (established 1916)

• Origin

  Korea

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Furniture and Furnishing

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  400s

• Name

  Mayuyama & Co., Ltd.

• Place

  Korea

• Topic

  Unglazed, Art, Stoneware, Tomb, Korean Art, Ceramics, Silla Kingdom (57 BCE - 676 CE), Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE - 676 CE)

• Culture

  Koreans

• Object Type

  Furniture, Furnishings