Ram

Object Details

• Description

  This small figure of a ram is sculpted naturalistically with charming directness. It stands on short, stumpy legs, its heavy rump slightly set back. Both fore and hind haunches are described subtly as smooth undulating planes, and the head and neck are also modelled with similar fluidity. The ram's distinguishing feature, the curled horns, stands out clearly from its head. No eyes are visible; a straight groove suggests a mouth. Two shallow depressions, serving apparently no descriptive function, appear inside the loop described by the horns.

• Provenance

  From 1960s to 1959

  Abel William Bahr (1877-1959) [1]

  From 1959 to 1971-1972

  Edna H. Bahr (d. 1978), by descent from her father, Abel William Bahr (1877-1959) [2]

  From 1971-1972 to ?

  Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014), purchased from Edna H. Bahr [3]

  From ? to 1998

  Carter Fine Art Limited, acquired from Robert Hatfield Ellsworth? [4]

  From 1998

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Carter Fine Art Limited [5]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Curatorial Remark 7 in the object record.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1.

  [4] See note 1.

  [5] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Beyond the Legacy--Anniversary Acquisitions of the Freer Gallery of Art (October 11, 1998 to April 11, 1999)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Abel William Bahr (1877-1959)

  Edna H. Bahr (1907-1986)

  Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (1929-2014)

  Caseset Limited

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Sculpture

• 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

  BCE 5000s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Caseset Limited, Bahr, Abel William, Bahr, Edna H., Ellsworth, Robert Hatfield

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Late Neolithic period (ca. 5000 - ca. 1700 BCE), Rams, Chinese Art, Serpentine, Stone

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Sculpture