Glaze: finely crackled, clear and slightly pebbly; bearing edges unglazed.
Decoration: painted in cobalt under the glaze; dragon amid clouds and flames on cover; waves on outside of box.
Contains six character mark in underglaze blue on base.
Together with a red ink pad in a round clear box.
Marks:
Ch'eng-hua (Ming) six character mark in underglaze blue on base.
Provenance:
To 1918
Pang Yuanji (1864-1949), Shanghai, China, to 1918 [1]
From 1918 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), presented by Pang Yuanji in 1918 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
Notes:
[1] According to Curatorial Remark 2, Fu Shen, 1980, in the object record, this bowl was with the writing set which had been presented to Charles Lang Freer in 1918 by the famous Chinese art collector P'ang Yuan Chi, from whom Freer acquired many important paintings. In an inscription carved on the ivory writing-brush holders (F1980.91.1ab-.2ab) and on the stone seal (F1980.92), P'ang dedicated the objects to Freer personally.
[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. The contents of Charles Lang Freer's writing set was acquired with his bequest.
The pieces were transferred from the Study Collection to the Permanent Collection on January 15, 1980 (see Provenance Remark 1, Kate Theimer, March 22, 1995, in the object record).
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Writing, Carving and Rubbing: China’s Calligraphic Arts (April 4 to October 25, 2009)
Brushing the Past: Later Chinese Calligraphy from the Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth (April 30, 2000 to January 2, 2001)
Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (III) (May 29, 1999 to January 30, 2000)
Masterpieces of Chinese Calligraphy (June 7, 1994 to March 20, 1995)
Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (II) (May 9 to December 6, 1993)
From Concept to Context: Approaches to Asian and Islamic Calligraphy (July 28, 1986 to February 6, 1987)
Chinese Bird and Flower Painting (January 27, 1986 to June 30, 1986)
Ch'ing Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting (August 30, 1985 to January 26, 1986)
Chinese Paintings: Recent Accessions (March 20, 1982 to October 13, 1982)
Chinese Landscape Painting (November 15, 1980 to March 6, 1981)
Chinese Calligraphy (May 9, 1980 to November 14, 1980)
