Ritual wine cup (gu) with taotie and dragons

Object Details

• Provenance

  1967

  Sale, New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., Oriental Art, December 14, 1967, Sale #2636, lot 185: “Bronze Beaker (Ku).” [1]

  To 1997

  Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997), Summit, New Jersey. [2]

  From 1997 to 1999

  In the custody of Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC [3]

  From 1999

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler. [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See auction catalogue for the Sale of Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., Oriental Art, December 14, 1967, Sale #2636.

  [2] See object record.

  [3] Between 1997 and 1999, The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art was in the custody of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC

  [4] See “The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art Gift Agreement” from March 1999, Collections Management Office. The object was formally accessioned into the museum’s permanent collection in 2012. See Acquisition Consideration Form, object file, Collections Management Office.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Parke-Bernet Galleries

  Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 1000s

• Name

  Singer, Paul, Parke-Bernet Galleries

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Art, The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Taotie, Dragon, Gu, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)