Food vessel (ding)

Object Details

• Provenance

  ?-1947

  Henry Brown Esq., method of acquisition unknown [1]

  1947

  Sale, Sotheby & Co., London, "Catalogue of important Chinese art, the property of Henry Brown, Esq., and others," March 25, 1947, lot 80 [2]

  1947-1951

  Possibly John Sparks Ltd., London, England possibly purchased at auction, "Catalogue of important Chinese art, the property of Henry Brown, Esq., and others," Sotheby & Co., London, March 25, 1947, lot 80 [3]

  By 1951-1972

  F. Brodie Lodge, Esq. (1880--1967) and Enid M. B. Lodge (1898 -- 1989), likely purchased from John Sparks Ltd. [4]

  1972

  Sale, Sotheby & Co., London, "Important Chinese Ceramics, Archaic Bronzes, Jades, and Works of Art," March 14, 1972, lot 6: "A Good Archaic Bronze Cauldron (ting)" [5]

  1972

  J. T. Tai & Company, INC. New York, NY purchased at auction, "Important Chinese Ceramics, Archaic Bronzes, Jades, and Works of Art," Sotheby & Co., London, March 14, 1972, lot 6 [6]

  1972-1987

  Arthur M. Sackler, purchased from J. T. Tai & Company [7]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [8]

  Notes:

  [1] See Sotheby & Co., London, "Catalogue of important Chinese art, the property of Henry Brown, Esq., and others," March 25, 1947, lot 80, copy in object file.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1 and 2. John Sparks Ltd. purchased several bronzes at this auction (see examples in the Burrell Collection, Glasgow, Scotland). The object's later owners, Mr. and Mrs. F. Brodie Lodge, were amongst John Sparks Ltd.'s most important and prolific customers.

  [4] See: W. Perceval Yetts, "An Exhibition of Chinese Bronzes in London," in Aziatische kunst Vol. 36 (March 1952), 132 -- 141, copy in object file. The article discusses a 1951 exhibition at the Oriental Ceramic Society; this object was included in that exhibition (and illustrated in this Yetts article) and was owned by the Lodges.

  [5] See Sotheby & Co., London, "Important Chinese Ceramics, Archaic Bronzes, Jades, and Works of Art," March 14, 1972, lot 6: "A Good Archaic Bronze Cauldron (ting)," copy in object file.

  [6] See invoice from J. T. Tai & Company, Inc. to Dr. A.M. Sackler, "Purchases for Dr. A.M. Sackler, Sotheby's Sale of March 14, 1972, copy in object file. No date visible on document, however, the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation possesses other pages of this document that reveal a date of May 14, 1972. J. T. Tai & Company purchased for Dr. Sackler, yet never sold it to him until May 14, 1972.

  [7] See previous note. Dr. Arthur M. Sackler was a physician, medical publisher, pharmaceutical marketer, and collector of Asian art.

  [8] Pursuant to the agreement between 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.

  Research updated July 14, 2023.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  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)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Henry Brown Esq.

  John Sparks, Ltd. (1890-1992)

  F. Brodie Lodge (1880-1967)

  Enid M.B. Lodge (1898-1989)

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

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  Anyang, probably Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., John Sparks, Ltd., Lodge, F. Brodie, J.T. Tai & Co., Lodge, Enid M.B., Brown, Henry

• Place

  China, Henan province, Anyang

• Topic

  Art, Chinese Art, Shang dynasty (ca. 1600 - ca. 1050 BCE)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)