Cup (Bei)

Object Details

• Provenance

  From at least 1963 to 1968

  Desmond Gure (1905-1970), London, from at least May 1963 [1]

  From 1968 to 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), New York, purchased from Desmond Gure on January 10, 1968 [2]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Gure lent the jade to an exhibition Celadon Jade at the National Museum in Stockholm in 1963, see Celadon Jade: Finds, Specimen, Scientific Results (Stockholm: The National Museum, May – June 1963), cat. 106.

  See also an undated typed inventory of Desmond Gure’s collection, “List 2 – Objects Exhibited at Stockholm 1963,” no. 168: “A mottled grey green and brown jade cup with circular ring handle and pointed thumb piece – 2. 3/8 in. high – T’ang Dynasty,” copy in object file.

  [2] According to information provided by Arthur M. Sackler Foundation in October 2009, Arthur M. Sackler purchased the jade as part of Desmond Gure’s jade collection on January 10, 1968.

  See “Arthur M. Sackler Gift: Chinese Jades: Summary,” where the object is listed under Sackler Collection no. J-1313 and identified as S1987.727.

  [3] 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

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

  Pavilions and Immortal Mountains: Chinese Decorative Art and Paintings (September 28, 1987 to February 28, 1988)

  Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages (May 1 to June 22, 1975)

  Celadon, Jade: Finds, Specimen, Scientific Results (May to June 1963)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Desmond Gure (1905-1970)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1000s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., Gure, Desmond

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Song dynasty (960 - 1279), Chinese Art, Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)