Lid of a container (possibly a pou)

Object Details

• Description

  Lid of vessel. Dome shaped. Three tigers in relief seen in side view with heads rising from surface to become virtually sculpture in the round, looking towards the center. Stylized broad bands of tigers on angular meander background. Band of small circles surrounds center of lid which is restored; the original center probably had a knob raised on a stem (see F13.30). Dark shiny surface; extensively repaired.

• Previous custodian or owner

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

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

• Provenance

  To 1916

  Lai-Yuan & Co., New York, to March 1916 [1]

  From 1916 to 1970

  Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970), Washington, DC, and Mt. Kisco, NY, bought from Lai-Yuan & Co., on March 6, 1916 [2]

  From 1970 to 1974

  Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, New York [3]

  From 1974

  Freer Gallery of Art, bequeathed by Agnes E. Meyer [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See Invoice, issued by C. T. Loo, Lai-Yuan & Co. to Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Meyer, dated March 6, 1916, no. 30962: “Circular bronze cover from a Ting with 3 raised panthers amidst scrolls of thunder (Lug Wan) Seu-Ning-Koo or black quicksilver

  patina – Shang dynasty,” in object file.

  [2] See Lai-yuan & Co.'s invoice cited in note 1.

  [3] The object was part of the Estate of Agnes E. Meyer.

  [4] The object was transferred to the Freer Gallery on January 9, 1973. In 1974 it was confirmed that the transfer of this object to the Freer Gallery from the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation had been approved by the foundation’s Board of Directors on December 14, 1972 and the object was accessioned into the collection.

• Origin

  Yangzi River valley, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Meyer, Eugene and Agnes E., C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China, Yangzi River valley

• Topic

  Art, Chinese Art, Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 - ca. 1050 BCE), Tiger

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)