Bell (yong) with dragons from a set of six graduated bells (bianzhong), along with S1987.4-.8

Object Details

• Provenance

  1917-1941

  Emmanuel Gran (1894-1969) Shanghai, China; Los Angeles, CA; then New York, NY., purchased while living in China [1]

  1940s-1954

  Emmanuel Gran and Delight (Philips) Gran (1912-1974), Los Angeles, CA; then New York, NY, jointly owned through marriage [2]

  1954-1959

  J. T. Tai & Company, New York, NY purchased from Delight Gran on June 27, 1954 in New York, NY [3]

  1959-1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY purchased from J. T. Tai & Company on January 15, 1959 in New York, NY [4]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [5]

  Notes:

  [1] See J. T. Tai & Company Stock Record, YT 877, copy in object file. Purchase from "Mrs. D. Gran" and sale to Sackler recorded. Noted that this object was purchased and sold as part of a set of six.

  Emmanuel Gran was a Russian architect who lived in China, near Shanghai, from 1917 to 1941, where he built several large buildings, including the Cathy Hotel in Shanghai. Whilst living in China he amassed a large collection of Chinese antiquities. After the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, Gran and his collection relocated to Los Angeles, CA, where he designed ships for the American War Department.

  In California, he met and married Delight Philips. After the war, Gran began to design movie sets, however, he soon went to work for Hilton Hotels as their in-house architect and relocated to New York City.

  [2] See note 1. Emmanuel Gran married Delight Philips sometime in the 1940s. We can assume they jointly owned the bell, as Delight Gran was responsible for its sale to J. T. Tai & Company, NY.

  [3] See note 1.

  [4] See note 1. The stock record indicates that all six bells were sold to Arthur M. Sackler on January 15, 1959.

  [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)

  Ancient Chinese Bronzes and Jades (October 1, 1989 - September 10, 1990)

  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)

  Unearthing China's Past (November 15, 1973 to February 15, 1974)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Emmanuel Gran

  Delight Gran (1912-1974)

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

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Musical Instrument

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., J. T. Tai & Co., Gran, Emmanuel, Gran, Delight

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Art, 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