Plaque (pai)

Object Details

• Provenance

  From at least 1948 to 1968

  Desmond Gure (1905-1970), London, from at least April 1948 [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 object to Exhibition of Chinese Jades organized by Oriental Ceramic Society in London in 1948, see Oriental Ceramic Society, Exhibition of Chinese Jades, exh. cat. (London, April 14 – June 9, 1948), cat. 128.

  See also an undated typed inventory of Desmond Gure’s collection, “List 2 – Objects Exhibited at Stockholm 1963,” no. 194: “A white jade plaque carved in openwork of a dragon and a phoenix – 3 ½ in. high – Sung Dynasty – Fitted box,” 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-1328 and identified as S1987.737.

  [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

  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)

  The Arts of the Sung Dynasty (June 16 to July 23, 1960)

  L’Art de la Chine des Song (1956)

  Mostra d'arte Cinese (1954)

  Exhibition of Chinese Jades (April 14 to June 9, 1948)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Desmond Gure (1905-1970)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1200s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., Gure, Desmond

• Place

  China

• Topic

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

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry