Square lidded wine ewer (fangguang) with taotie, dragons, and birds

Object Details

• Description

  Ceremonial covered vessel, type guang. Design cast in low and high relief representing mainly feline and bird forms. Smooth grey-green patina. Eight-character inscription inside cover and bottom. Handle and part of back repaired.

• Inscriptions

  Eight-character inscription inside cover and bottom

• Provenance

  From at least 1948 to 1949

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York, from at least January 22, 1948 [1]

  From 1949

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from C. T. Loo & Company on July 1, 1949 [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See C. T. Loo's Approval List, dated February 3, 1948, with an annotation that the listed objects had been left by Loo at the Freer Gallery on January 22, 1948.

  [2] See C. T. Loo's invoice, dated July 1, 1949, copy in object file.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Ancient Chinese Jades and Bronzes (November 20, 2010 to January 3, 2016)

  Chinese Art (February 18, 1983 to April 1, 1987)

  Chinese Art (June 15, 1982 to September 24, 1982)

  Chinese Art (March 15, 1982 to June 15, 1982)

  Chinese Art (March 9, 1981 to March 12, 1982)

  Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

  Special Exhibition—Chinese Bronzes (November 1, 1961 to March 23, 1962)

  Chinese Bronze, Jade, Marble (March 1, 1957 to January 1, 1963)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 14 and 15 (February 25, 1956 to March 1, 1957)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Jade and Bronze (August 26, 1955 to October 25, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1955 (October 24, 1955 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Ancient Chinese Art, 1945 (January 9, 1945 to August 20, 1955)

• Previous custodian or owner

  C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)

• Origin

  Luoyang, Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  Luoyang, China, Henan province

• Topic

  Bronze, Wine and wine making, Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE), Art, Animals, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Birds, Taotie, Masks, Dragon, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)