Miniature hand warmer or incense burner with lid

Object Details

• Description

  Hand warmer or incense burner. Small dome-shaped wheel-thrown vessel. Three parallel vertical slits cut in each of three equidistantly spaced locations on shoulder, their placement defined by a pair of lightly incised horizontal lines. Flat bottom, beveled edge. Lid with knob handle fits plain circular opening on top.

  Clay: porcelain, very fine, creamy white.

  Glaze: transparent; slightly ivory-toned, greenish where thicker; crackled.

• Provenance

  To 1982

  Helen Dalling Ling (d. 1982), Shanghai and Singapore. [1]

  From 1982 to 1984

  Dr. Tien Gi Ling, Singapore, by bequest from his wife, Helen Dalling Ling in May 1982. [2]

  From 1984

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dr. Tien Gi Ling, Singapore. [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Helen Dalling Ling operated "The Green Dragon" antiques shop in Shanghai from 1938 to 1950, and a shop under her own name in Singapore from 1951 to 1982.

  According to the information supplied by Dr. Ling, this object was in Mrs. Ling's general collection and was probably collected in Singapore. Also see Curatorial Remark 8 in the object record.

  [2] Helen Dalling Ling left a bequest to her husband, Dr. Tien Gi Ling on May 1982.

  [3] Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Black and White: Chinese Ceramics from the 10th-14th Centuries (December 18, 2004 to November 7, 2010)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Helen D. Ling (1901-1982)

  Mr. Tien Gi Ling

• Origin

  Hebei or Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  600s, 700s

• Name

  Ling, Tien Gi, Ling, Helen D.

• Place

  China, Henan province, Hebei

• Topic

  Sui dynasty (581 - 618), Porcelain, Art, Stoneware, Chinese Art, Incense, Tang dynasty (618 - 907)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)