Oracle bone fragment, inscribed

Object Details

• Provenance

  From at least 1934

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased by Carl Whiting Bishop. [1]

  [1] Carl Whiting Bishop acquired the object for the Freer Gallery of Art sometime between 1923 and 1934, when he carried out couple of expeditions to China. The object was transferred from the Freer Study Collection to the Permanent Collection on November 1985. See Curatorial Remark 5 in the object record. Also see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)

  Writing, Carving and Rubbing: China’s Calligraphic Arts (April 4 to October 25, 2009)

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Acquired under the guidance of the Carl Whiting Bishop expedition

• Type

  Ceremonial Object

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Place

  China, Henan province, Anyang

• Topic

  Divination, Art, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 - ca. 1050 BCE), Bone, Carl Whiting Bishop collection, Tortoise, Oracle-bone script

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ceremonial objects