Storage jar (lei)
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
ca. 1250-1050 BCE -
Geography
Anyang, probably Henan province, China -
Material
Unglazed gray earthenware -
Dimension
H x W x D: 21.5 × 21.5 × 20.5 cm (8 7/16 × 8 7/16 × 8 1/16 in) -
Accession Number
F1985.5a-c -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_F1985.5a-c
Object Details
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Description
Gray pottery wine container (lei).Vessel formed by coiling-and-throwing process. Elongated cylindrical neck ending in slightly thickened and flattened rim. The shoulder flattened and smoothed. Below the edge of the shoulder, the body swells to its broadest point then tapers sharply to a narrow base approximately the same diameter as the neck. Two broad horizontally pierced lugs placed oppositely just above the jar's widest point, their upper ends overlapping the smooth shoulder band.Clay: fine grained unglazed pottery clay, gray on the surface.Decoration: Incised around shoulder, a pair of widely spaced horizontal lines filled in with diagonal lines forming a band of triangles. In contrast to the smooth neck and shoulder, the central portion of the body is covered with a stamped grid pattern. Over this textured area is incised an interlocking T-hook pattern, the interior spaces of which are partially smoothed. The lower portion of the jar is plain with numerous closely but irregularly spaced horizontal lines produced by the process of smoothing the surface. -
Provenance
To 1949Helen D. Ling (died 1982), Shanghai, to 1949 [1]From 1949 to 1984James G. Ling, Potomac, MD, given by Helen D. Ling in 1949 [2]From 1984Freer Gallery of Art, given by James G. and Ann S. Ling in 1984 [3]Notes:[1] Helen Dalling Ling was a collector who operated an antiques shop in Shanghai. According to James G. Ling, this object was collected in China during the war (see Curatorial Note 9 in the object record).[2] See note 1.[3] Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List after 1920 file, Collections Management Office. -
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024)Clay and Metal: Ancient Chinese Ceramics and Metal (February 25, 1997 to August 9, 2011) -
Previous custodian or owner
Helen D. Ling (1901-1982)James G. LingDr. and Mrs. James G. and Ann S. Ling -
Origin
Anyang, probably Henan province, China -
Credit Line
Gift of James G. and Ann S. Ling in memory of the collector and connoisseur Helen Dalling Ling -
Type
Vessel -
On View
Sackler Gallery 23b: Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings -
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.
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