Pendant in form of a mask

Object Details

• Description

  The main element of the design of this ornamental pendant is a pair of "eyes," drilled from the front, with perforated slits for “eyebrows,” and a swirling series of gently undulating curves. Below the eyes are seven sets of paired, pointed, teeth-like projections. Extending from the sides are symmetrically curved and hooked elements. The top edge is straight. A hole is drilled from both sides between the eyes. The pendant is worked only on one surface; the back is flat and simply polished.

• Provenance

  To about 1966

  Estate of Col. Lewis F. Acker, to about 1966 [1]

  From about 1966 to 1991

  Therese and Erwin Harris, Coconut Grove, FL, purchased from Pennington's Antiques and/or Edward J. Koch Antiques, Hallandale, FL, in about 1966 [2]

  From 1991

  Freer Gallery of Art, given by Therese and Erwin Harris in 1991

  Notes:

  [1] According to a letter in the object file from Erwin Harris (dated December 9, 1991), this object was in the collection of U.S. Army Colonel Lewis F. Acker, a U.S. Liaison Officer attached to the Nationalist China Army. All of the collection evidently left China with Col. Acker at the conclusion of the war in 1945-1946. Mr. Harris purchased this object 20 years later, from the sale of Col. Acker's Estate through two antique dealers, Pennington's Antiques and Edward J. Koch Antiques, in Hallandale, FL (see Curatorial Note 5 in the object record).

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Ancient Chinese Jades (May 9, 1993 to May 18, 1998)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Col. Lewis F. Acker (1897-1963)

  Estate of Col. Lewis F. Acker

  Pennington's Antiques

  Edward J. Koch Antiques

  Therese and Erwin Harris

• Origin

  Northeast China

• Culture

  Hongshan culture, ca. 3800-ca. 2700 BCE

• Credit Line

  Gift of Therese and Erwin Harris

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 3000s

• Name

  Edward J. Koch Antiques, Estate of Col. Lewis F. Acker, Pennington's Antiques, Harris, Therese and Erwin, Acker, Lewis F.

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), Chinese Art, Pendant, Masks

• Culture

  Chinese, Hongshan culture

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry