Ritual wine container (fangyi) with masks (taotie) , dragons, and birds

Object Details

• Inscriptions

  Inscribed on the bottom of the interior, Ge Bei Dan 戈北單 (“Infantry Officer, Head of the Northern Ward”)

• Provenance

  To 1975

  J.T. Tai & Co., Inc., New York, NY [1]

  From 1975 to 1987

  The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, purchased from J.T. Tai & Co., Inc., New York, NY on June 6, 1975 [2]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation

  Notes:

  [1] The dealer number is YT 6000. See invoice from J.T. Tai & Co., dated May 12, 1975, copy in object file.

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)

  Untitled Exhibition: Rijksmuseum (November 7, 2002 to May 13, 2003)

  The Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola Bronzes from South India (November 10, 2002 to March 9, 2003)

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

  Art from Ritual: Ancient Chinese Bronze Vessels from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections (April 23 to September 6, 1983)

• Previous custodian or owner

  J. T. Tai & Co. (established in 1950)

  Arthur M. Sackler Foundation (founded 1965)

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, J. T. Tai & Co.

• Place

  China, Henan province, Anyang

• Topic

  Bronze, Wine and wine making, Art, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 - ca. 1050 BCE), Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)