Mirror with birds, animals, and grapes
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
-
Period
late 7th-8th century -
Geography
China -
Material
Bronze -
Dimension
Diam x D: 21.3 x 1.9 cm (8 3/8 x 3/4 in) -
Accession Number
F1944.5 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1944.5
Object Details
-
Provenance
From at least 1924C. T. Loo & Company, Paris, from at least 1924 [1]From at least 1929Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941), New York and "The Chimneys," Sands Point, Port Washington, Long Island, from at least 1929 [2]From at least 1944Tonying and Company, New York, from at least February 1944 [3]From 1944Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Tonying and Company on February 7, 1944 [4]Notes:[1] See Zhu Deyi, P. Pelliot,Bronzes antiques de la Chine appartenant à C. T. Loo et Cie. (Paris and Brussels: Librairie Nationale d’art et d’histoire, G. van Oest, 1924), pl. 36. According to Paul Pelliot’s preface to the catalogue, the bronzes forming the C. T. Loo collection and selected for the publication had been recently brought from China.[2] See Yamanaka & Company, To-So Seikwa: Select relics of the Tang and Sung Dynasties from the Collections in Europe and America (Osaka, 1929), vol. 2, pl. 37 A.[3] See Tonying & Company’s invoice, dated February 7, 1944, in which the mirror figures under no. B. 34: “Bronze Mirror, circular in form, ‘Grape and Sea-Horse’ design, fine patina / Tang” copy in object file.The acquisition was approved by C. G. Abbot, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, on February 4, 1944, see “List of Objects Contemplated for Purchase by the Freer Gallery of Art,” copy in object file.[4] See invoice cited in note 2. See also A. G. Wenley’s letter to C. F. Yau, Tonying & Co., dated February 5, 1944, in which Wenley confirms the purchase of the mirror along with seven other mirrors from the Holmes collection (see records for F1944.3-F1944.4, F1944.6 -F1944.10). -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Silk Road Exhibition (August 18 to December 25, 2011)Personal Luxuries in Early China (July 7, 1998 to January 3, 2016)Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)Chinese Bronze, Jade, Metalwork (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Metalwork and Painting, East Corridor (February 15, 1955 to August 26, 1955)Special Mirror Exhibition (November 16, 1954 to February 25, 1955)Special Exhibition, Chinese Art, 1946 (August 7, 1946 to January 7, 1947)Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1946 (May 7, 1946 to February 25, 1956) -
Previous custodian or owner
Mrs. Christian R. Holmes (1871-1941)C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902) -
Origin
China -
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment -
Type
Mirror -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.
Keep Exploring
-
Related Resources
-
Date
-
Name
-
Place
-
Topic
-
Culture
-
Object Type
