Mandarin Ducks under Smartweed

Object Details

• Artist

  Formerly attributed to Xu Xi (active mid-10th century)

• Label

  A pair of mandarin ducks huddle together on the bank under the tall smartweed. Mandarin ducks, among the most beautiful of all ducks, are always found in pairs. Therefore, they are the most favorable and frequent symbol of conjugal felicity in China. In the upper portion of the composition there is another pair of song birds; one in the air flying toward the other one, which is perched on the smartweed. This is an excellent Ming painting based on a Sung composition, with an interpolated signature of the tenth-century master Hsu Hsi.

• Provenance

  To 1909

  Loong Shing Company, Hong Kong, to 1909 [1]

  From 1909 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Loong Shing Company, Hong Kong, in 1909 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 647, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.

  [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

  Chinese Bird and Flower Painting (December 17, 1993 to May 31, 1994)

  Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (II) (May 9, 1993 to May 31, 1994)

  Chinese Bird and Flower Painting (January 27, 1986 to June 30, 1986)

  Centennial Exhibition, Gallery 18 (February 25, 1956 to February 4, 1957)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Painting, Gallery 2, 1955 (April 11, 1955 to November 10, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1946 (May 6, 1946 to November 17, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, 1943 (October 4, 1943 to August 7, 1946)

  Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Scrolls (July 19, 1943 to April 30, 1946)

  Chinese Panels and Han Pottery (February 25, 1925 to July 19, 1943)

  Stone Sculpture, Buddhist Bronze, and Chinese Painting (May 2, 1923 to February 25, 1956)

  A Selection of Art Objects from the Freer Collection Exhibited in the New Building of the National Museum (April 15 to June 15, 1912)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Loong Shing Company (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1500s, 1600s

• Name

  Loong Shing Company, Freer, Charles Lang

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Bird and flower, Art, Animals, Chinese Art, Birds, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Ducks

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings