Oracle bone fragment, inscribed
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
ca. 1250-1050 BCE -
Geography
Anyang, probably Henan province, China -
Material
Bone -
Dimension
H x W x D: 2.5 × 2.4 × 0.6 cm (1 × 15/16 × 1/4 in) -
Accession Number
S2012.9.459 -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_S2012.9.459
Object Details
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Provenance
From 1930s to ?Fritz Bilfinger, purchased in China in the 1930s. [1]From ? to 1997Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997), Summit, New Jersey, purchased from Fritz Bilfinger. [2]From 1997 to 1999In the custody of Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, DC [3]From 1999Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler. [4]Notes:[1] According to Qi Wenxin, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of History, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, “Singer acquired the oracle bones from Fritz Bilfinger, a Swiss citizen who was a representative of the Aluminum Company of Canada, while traveling in the Far East. Bilfinger purchased the oracle bones in China in the 1930s.” See “Singer Chinese Oracle Bones” document dated September 20, 2002 in the object record.[2] See note 1.[3] Between 1997 and 1999, The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art was in the custody of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington DC[4] See “The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art Gift Agreement” from March 1999, Collections Management Office. The object was formally accessioned into the museum’s permanent collection in 2012. See Acquisition Consideration Form, object file, Collections Management Office. -
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection -
Exhibition History
Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings (February 25, 2023 to April 28, 2024) -
Previous custodian or owner
Dr. and Mrs. Fritz BilfingerDr. Paul Singer (1904-1997) -
Origin
Anyang, probably Henan province, China -
Credit Line
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler -
Type
Ceremonial Object -
On View
Sackler Gallery 24a: 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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