One of a set of bells (bo) with felines and dragons

Object Details

• Provenance

  Dr. Otto Burchard (1892-1965), Berlin [1]

  Yamanaka & Company, New York [2]

  From at least 1933 to 1941

  Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941), New York and "The Chimneys," Sands Point, Port Washington, Long Island, purchased from Yamanaka & Company by at least 1933 [3]

  From 1941 to 1963

  Holmes Foundation, New York [4]

  1963

  Sale, New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, Important Chinese Art: Early Dynastic Bronzes, Silver and Gold...Collected by the Late Bettie F. Holmes (Mrs. Christian R. Holmes), New York, Sold by Order of the Holmes Foundation, November 14-15, 1963, lot 255 (ill.): "Wrought Silver-Bronze Bell (Chung)."

  To 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler in 1987 [5]

  Notes:

  [1] According to Osvald Sirén, A History of Chinese Art (London: E. Benn Ltd., 1929), pl. 107 A. Sirén noted that at the time of publication the object had already left the Burchard collection.

  [2] According to Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, sale cat., Important Chinese Art: Early Dynastic Bronzes, Silver and Gold...Collected by the Late Bettie F. Holmes (Mrs. Christian R. Holmes), New York, Sold by Order of the Holmes Foundation (New York, November 14-15, 1963), lot 255 (ill.).

  [3] Umehara Sueji, Shina-kodo Seikwa (Selected Relics of Ancient Chinese Bronzes from Collections in Europe and America): Part I Bronze Vases vol. 3 (Osaka: Yamanaka & Co., 1933), pl. 201.

  Mrs. Holmes lent the bell to International Exhibition of Chinese Art at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in London in 1935-36, see Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, exh. cat. (London: Royal Academy of Arts, November 1935-March 7, 1936), cat. 139 (ill.) and subsequently to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, see Chinese Bronzes of the Shang (1766-1122 B. C.) through the T’ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906) (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 19-November 27, 1938), cat. 174 (ill.).

  In the 1963 Parke-Bernet auction catalogue cited in note 2, the object is listed as purchased by Mrs. Holmes from Yamanaka & Company.

  [4] Mrs. Holmes had established the Holmes Foundation to continue her charity work after her death.

  [5] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  Resound: Ancient Bells of China (October 14, 2017 - July 5, 2021)

  The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

  In Praise of Ancestors: Ritual Objects from China (September 28, 1987 to January 1, 1989)

  Chinese Bronzes from American Collections (October 19 to November 27, 1938)

  International Exhibition of Chinese Art (November 28, 1935 to March 7, 1936)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Dr. Otto C. Burchard (1892-1965)

  Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965)

  Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941)

  Holmes Foundation

  Parke-Bernet Galleries

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  Houma foundry, Shanxi province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Musical Instrument

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

  This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. 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 0s

• Name

  Holmes, Christian R., Sackler, Arthur M., Parke-Bernet Galleries, Burchard, Otto C., Holmes Foundation, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  Shanxi province, Houma foundry, China

• Topic

  Bronze, Cats, Art, Animals, Sculpture, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Chinese Art, Spring and Autumn period (770 - 476 BCE), Dragon, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Musical instruments