Tea or Kumiss Bowl

Object Details

• Provenance

  To 1996

  Unknown seller, Mongolia, to 1996 [1]

  From 1996 to 1999

  Ambassador and Mrs. Donald C. Johnson, Arlington, VA, purchased from an unknown seller in Mongolia in 1996 [2]

  From 1999

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, given by Ambassador and Mrs. Donald C. Johnson in 1999

  Notes:

  [1] The object was acquired by Ambassador and Mrs. Johnson during his term as United States ambassador to Mongolia (see Curatorial Remark 1, Jenny F. So, February 23, 1999, in the object record).

  According to an excerpt from a letter (dated April 9, 1999) from Ambassador Johnson to Vidya Dehejia: "Nelda bought these two bowls [this bowl and S1999.12] from a young man who came to the Embassy Residence in early 1996.

  The young man had heard of Nelda's bowl collection - Nelda never kept it a secret - and the young man hoped to interest her.

  He did." (see Provenance Remark 1 in the object record).

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Ambassador and Mrs. Donald C. Johnson

• Origin

  Mongolia

• Credit Line

  Gift of Ambassador and Mrs. Donald C. Johnson

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1800s, 1960s

• Name

  Johnson, Donald C.

• Place

  Mongolia

• Topic

  Repoussé, Hammering, Silver, Tea, Art, Punching, Chinese Art, Chasing, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)