Shoulder of large jar (fragment)

Object Details

• Provenance

  12th-14th century-1956 or 1957

  Cambodia, Siem Reap province, Angkor, Angkor Thom [1]

  1956 or 1957-1957

  John Alexander Pope (1906-1982), method of acquisition unknown probably in Cambodia [2]

  From 1957

  National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, gift of John Alexander Pope [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See inscription on the unglazed inside wall, which reads “ANGKOR [/] THOM [/] POOL.”

  See also Study Collection object card, copy in object file. Object’s source is described as, “Angkor Thom, Pool [/] John A. Pope, 1957.”

  See also Curatorial Remark, dated June 22, 2018, copy in object file. The Curatorial Remarks states, “Note in pencil on unglazed inside wall, probably by John A. Pope: ‘ANGKOR THOM pool.’ This must mean the artificial pond within the precincts of the Royal Palace in Angkor Thom.”

  See also John Alexander Pope, Curriculum Vitae, dated April 1976. Between September 1956 and April 1957, John A. Pope traveled to Asia and England. In Southeast Asia, Pope specifically visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Malaya, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Borneo), and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

  [2] See note 1.

  John Alexander Pope (1906-1982) was a renowned scholar and collector of Asian art, especially Chinese and Japanese ceramics. He spent most of his professional career at the Freer Gallery of Art, which he joined in 1943 as an Associate in Research. He later served as Assistant Director (1946 to 1962) and then as Director (1962 to 1971). After his retirement in August 1971, he continued at the Freer Gallery of Art as Director Emeritus and Research Curator for Far Eastern Ceramics. He is also known for his two pioneering studies of early Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, “Fourteenth Century Blue and White" (1952) and "Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine" (1956). Pope

  also acquired many pottery sherds during his frequent travels to Asian and Europe, and many of the sherds are now part of the study collection at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.

  [3] See note 1, Study Collection object card.

  The object is part of the museum’s Freer Study Collection.

  Research updated November 13, 2024

• Collection

  Freer Study Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dr. John Alexander Pope (1906-1982)

• Origin

  Cambodia or Northeast Thailand

• Credit Line

  Gift of John A. Pope

• Type

  Vessel

• 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

  1100s, 1300s

• Name

  Pope, John Alexander

• Place

  Cambodia, Thailand

• Topic

  Art, Southeast Asian Art, Ceramics, Angkor period (802 - 1431)

• Culture

  Southeast Asians

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)