The Bija A, representing Vairocana (Dainichi)
Terms of Use
Creative CommonsAt A Glance
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Period
late 14th-early 15th century -
Geography
Japan -
Material
Color and gold on silk -
Dimension
H x W (image): 120.7 x 42.4 cm (47 1/2 x 16 11/16 in) -
Accession Number
F1898.509a-d -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1898.509a-d
Object Details
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Provenance
To 1898Edward S. Hull Jr., New York to 1898 [1]From 1898 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Edward S. Hull Jr. in 1898 [2]From 1920Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]Notes:[1] See Reserved Kakemono List, R. 179, pg. 6, as well as Voucher No. 27, June 1898, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Edward S. Hull Jr. was Ernest Francisco Fenollosa’s (1853-1908) lawyer. Hull often acted as an agent, facilitating purchases of objects consigned to him by Fenollosa, as well as purchases of objects consigned to him by Fenollosa'swell-known associate, Bunshichi Kobayashi (see correspondence, Hull to Freer, 1898-1900, as well as invoices from E.S. Hull Jr., 1898-1900, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives). See also, Ingrid Larsen, "'Don’t Send Ming or Later Pictures': Charles Lang Freer and the First Major Collection of Chinese Painting in an American Museum," Ars Orientalis vol. 40 (2011), pgs. 15 and 34. See further, Thomas Lawton and Linda Merrill, Freer: A Legacy of Art, (Washington, DC and New York: Freer Gallery of Art and H. N. Abrams, 1993), pgs. 133-134.[2] See note 1.[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery. -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Words of Wisdom: Buddhist Calligraphy from Japan (April 1, 2023 to February 25, 2024)The Power of Words in an Age of Crisis (October 14, 2017 to May 6, 2018) -
Previous custodian or owner
Edward S. Hull Jr. (C.L. Freer source)Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) -
Origin
Japan -
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer -
Type
Painting -
Restrictions and Rights
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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