Water dropper and wooden stand

Object Details

• Description

  Gourd-shaped water dropper (a) with two incised inscriptions; one in archaic script on the "belly" of the vessel and one in neat "running" (xingshu) script on the neck. The removable stem of the metal gourd (b) has a small opening from which drops of water can be released by holding the container upside down.

  With a wooden stand (c).

• Provenance

  To 1918

  Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), Shanghai, China, to 1918 [1]

  From 1918 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), presented by Pang Yuanji in 1918 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Remark 2, Fu Shen, 1980, in the object record, this water dropper was with the writing set which had been presented to Charles Lang Freer in 1918 by the famous Chinese art collector P'ang Yuan Chi, from whom Freer acquired many important paintings. In an inscription carved on the ivory writing-brush holders (F1980.91.1ab-.2ab) and on the stone seal (F1980.92), P'ang dedicated the objects to Freer personally.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery. The contents of Charles Lang Freer's writing set was acquired with his bequest.

  The pieces were transferred from the Study Collection to the Permanent Collection on January 15, 1980 (see Provenance Remark 1, Kate Theimer, March 22, 1995, in the object record).

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Word Play: Contemporary Art by Xu Bing (October 21, 2001 to January 13, 2002)

  Brushing the Past: Later Chinese Calligraphy from the Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (April 30, 2000 to January 2, 2001)

  Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (III) (May 29, 1999 to January 30, 2000)

  An Invitation to Tea (November 9, 1996 to April 26, 1998)

  Masterpieces of Chinese Calligraphy (June 7, 1994 to March 20, 1995)

  Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (II) (May 9, 1993 to May 31, 1994)

  From Concept to Context: Approaches to Asian and Islamic Calligraphy (July 28, 1986 to February 6, 1987)

  Chinese Bird and Flower Painting (January 27, 1986 to June 30, 1986)

  Ch'ing Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting (August 30, 1985 to January 26, 1986)

  Chinese Paintings: Recent Accessions (March 20 to October 13, 1982)

  Chinese Landscape Painting (November 15, 1980 to March 6, 1981)

  Chinese Calligraphy (May 9, 1980 to November 14, 1980)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Pang Yuanji 龐元濟 (1864-1949) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1900s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Pang, Yuanji

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Water, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Chinese Art, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Writing, Incising, Metal-work, Running script

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)