Pole finial in the form of a dragon's head

Object Details

• Description

  Finial pole in the form of a ferocious dragon head with bulging eyes and curled snout breathing forth a column of cloud swirls forming a mushroom-cap terminal.

• Provenance

  To 1970

  Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) and Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970) [1]

  From 1970 to 2001

  Katharine Graham (1917-2001), Washington DC, by descent from her mother, Agnes E. Meyer [2]

  From 2001 to 2002

  Estate of Katharine Graham [3]

  From 2002

  Freer Gallery of Art, bequeathed by Katharine Graham [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See object file, Collections Management Office.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1.

  [4] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Eugene I. Meyer Jr. (1875-1959)

  Agnes E. Meyer (1887-1970)

  Katharine Meyer Graham (1917-2001)

  Estate of Katharine Graham

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Bequest of Katharine Graham

• Type

  Tool and Equipment

• 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

  1200s, 1300s

• Name

  Meyer, Agnes E., Graham, Katharine Meyer, Meyer, Eugene I., Estate of Katharine Graham

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Gilding, Bronze, Art, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368), Dragon, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Tools and equipment