Five-spouted jar

Object Details

• Description

  Five-spouted jar. Wheel-thrown vessel with short straight foot, pear-shaped body ending in mouth shaped like miniature hu; four more miniature "jars" (false spouts, with no opening into body) placed equidistantly around shoulder.

  Clay: fine-grained stoneware, surface color ranging from muddy brown to medium gray, except light gray where formerly covered with glaze.

  Glaze: traces of wood-ash glaze on shoulders of all jars.

• Provenance

  To ?

  J.E. Melchior collection, Shanghai. [1]

  To 1982

  Helen Dalling Ling (d. 1982), Shanghai and Singapore. [2]

  From 1982 to 1984

  Dr. Tien Gi Ling, Singapore, by bequest from his wife, Helen Dalling Ling in May 1982. [3]

  From 1984

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Dr. Tien Gi Ling, Singapore. [4]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Dr. Tien Gi Ling, Mrs. Helen D. Ling acquired the object from the J.E. Melchior Collection in Shanghai. Also see Curatorial Remark 4 in the object record.

  [2] 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 until her death in 1982.

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

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

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Chinese Ceramics (March 15, 1982 to July 10, 1986)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Jacob E. Melchior (died 1945)

  Helen D. Ling (1901-1982)

  Mr. Tien Gi Ling

• Origin

  Zhejiang province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  200s

• Name

  Melchior, J. E., Ling, Tien Gi, Ling, Helen D.

• Place

  China, Zhejiang province

• Topic

  Art, Han dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D., Stoneware, Chinese Art

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)