Charles Lang Freer Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of the estate of Charles Lang Freer.
One of Freer's earliest purchases of Japanese objects from the New York dealer Takayanagi Tozo. Includes 2 pieces of pottery and a textile as well as sticks of incense.
Arrangement:
Freer's purchase vouchers are generally organized by date of purchase.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.01 06.5.2.1893.04.07
General:
Freer collection numbers: F1893.2; F1893.13
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Charles Lang Freer Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of the estate of Charles Lang Freer.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Henry and Nancy Rosin Collection of Early Photography of Japan. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Purchase and partial donation.
The John Alexander Pope papers contain limited biographical, personal and professional information. The bulk of the collection consists of published and unpublished writings, research materials and correspondence.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged into six major series. A seventh series inventories outsize materials contained in the other series.
Series 1: Biographic Material
Subseries 1.1: Academic and Professional Life
Subseries 1.2: Personal and Official Photographs of Pope, Family and Colleagues
Series 2: John A. Pope Asian Ceramics and Art Collection
Series 3: Published and Unpublished Materials
Subseries 3.1: Articles, Lectures and Manuscripts
Subseries 3.2: Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine: Research Materials and Publication Correspondence
Series 4: Research Material: Subject Files
Subseries: 4.1: Asian Art and Ceramics: Background Material
Subseries 4.2: Chinese Ceramics
Subseries 4.3: Chinese Ceramics and the Porcelain Trade
Subseries 4.4: Japanese and Korean Ceramics
Series 5: Travel
Subseries 5.1: Itineraries, Expenses and Notes
Subseries 5.2: Photographs, Negatives and Slides
Series 6: Correspondence
Series 7: Inventory of Outsize Materials
Biographical/Historical note:
John Alexander Pope was a renowned scholar and authority on Asian art, especially Chinese and Japanese ceramics. He spent most of his professional career at the Freer Gallery of Art, which he joined in 1943 as an Associate in Research. He later served as Assistant Director (1946 to 1962) and then as Director (1962 to 1971). After his retirement in 1971, he continued at the Freer as Director Emeritus and Research Curator for Far Eastern Ceramics.
Pope was born in Detroit, Michigan on August 4, 1906 and died in Washington D.C. on September 18, 1982. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in English literature from Yale College. In 1929, prior to graduation, he joined the China International Famine Relief Commission sent to survey famine conditions in the Yellow River valley. As a truck driver for the Commission, he travelled throughout north China giving him an unparalleled chance to see the land and people at first hand. In Beijing, he met and spent time with Alan Priest, later curator of Far Eastern Ceramics at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In a 1972 letter, Pope recalled his time with Priest in 1929 as "the most important factor in my subsequent decision to go into the field." From 1934 to 1941 he was a graduate student at Harvard University, studying Chinese and Japanese languages and the history, archaeology and art of these countries. He spent 1938 as a Travelling Fellow of the Harvard-Yenching Institute studying Chinese archaeology at the University of London; he also travelled to Stockholm, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin to study museum and private ceramic collections. Harvard awarded him an M.A. degree in 1940 and a Ph. D. in 1955.
From 1945 to 1946, on leave of absence from the Freer, Pope served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve posted to Tianjin, China as a Chinese language interpreter. He travelled frequently to Beijing, spending time with Jean Pierre Dubosc and other Chinese art connoisseurs. In introductory notes to a 1979 lecture he recalled that on one of these Beijing trips he made his "first purchase of blue-and-white." Thus began of a life-long interest in Chinese blue-and-white porcelain in general and establishing criteria and a methodology for dating and stylistic analysis of 14th and 15th century blue-and-white in particular. His publications included analysis of important collections of Chinese ceramics, for example those at the Topkapi Sarayi in Istanbul and at the Ardabil Shrine in Iran. Many of his lectures, articles and research trips focused on Chinese trade ceramics, not only in European collections but also from Asian shipwrecks and at sites ranging from East Africa to The Philippines.
Pope made his first trip to Japan in 1956. In his 1979 notes he wrote: "My visit to Karatsu and meeting with the Nakazato family started my serious interest in Japanese ceramics." He made many trips to Japan beginning in the late 1960s, often spending several months at a time visiting important kiln sites and Japanese potters as well as collectors. His research emphasis gradually shifted to Japanese porcelain and the issues of dating and identifying kiln sites and wares. At the time of his death he was researching a book on Japanese porcelain.
Over time Pope created a substantial personal collection of Chinese and Japanese ceramics. He developed an extensive network of connoisseurs, dealers and scholars. He travelled frequently, visiting public and private collections, attending various symposia, and meeting with a wide range of colleagues involved in the world of Asian ceramics. He belonged to many professional associations and served as advisor or board member for several museums and academic institutions.
Related Material:
James Cahill Papers
Prince Aschwin Lippe Papers
SIA Acc, 03-018, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
Central Files, 1919-1986
Freer Gallery Study Collection, ceramic shards donated by John Alexander Pope, see http://www.open.asia.si.edu search John Pope.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
6.15 Cubic feet (consisting of 10 boxes and 1 flat box.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Slides
Notes
Photographs
Place:
Shanghai (China)
Singapore
Date:
1928-2008
bulk 1945-1982
Summary:
The Helen D. Ling Papers, dating from 1928-2008 with the bulk of material dating from 1945-1982, measure 6.15 cubic feet and include biographical material, research, writings, correspondence, printed material, and audiovisual material related to Ling's life and work as a collector and dealer of Asian art.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Helen Ling measure 6.15 cubic feet and date from 1928 to 2008, with the bulk of material dating between 1945-1982. The papers largely relate to Ling's personal life, research, and collections of Chinese objects. The papers include biographical material, research, writings, correspondence, printed material, and audio recordings.
Biographical material includes autobiographical accounts of Ling's life, photographs, a scrapbook, certificates of registration, and personal material such as address books, calendars, and collected business cards.
Research files relate to specific collections, Chinese art and porcelain, and individuals. Research related to individuals include news clippings, monographs, and correspondence. Photographs and publicity material for collections are included throughout the files.
Writings include publication drafts and related notes, lecture drafts and slides, and journals with material related to Ling's personal life and to collections. Journals also contain sketches and object photographs.
Printed material Includes magazines, news clippings, newsletters. Subjects represented in the printed material include the performing arts, Hong Kong, and trade in Singapore.
Correspondence consists of outgoing and incoming letters from correspondents including James Cahill, Joseph Alsop, Richard Barnhart, Mario Bussagli, Charles Blitzer, Elizabeth Hay Bechtel, Helena Chen, and Kazini of Chakhung. Correspondences that are bound together were established by the creator and have been maintained.
Audiovisual material includes audiocassettes, a VHS tape, and an aluminum disc sound recording.
Arrangement:
The Helen D. Ling papers are arranged in six series.
Series 1: Biographical Material
Series 2: Research Files
Series 3: Writings and Notes
Series 4: Correspondence
Series 5: Printed Material
Series 6: Audiovisual Material
Biographical Note:
Helen Dalling Ling was born in Ohio in 1901, and was an American collector, dealer, and connoisseur of Asian art and antiques.
In 1928, Ling married Tien-Gi Ling, a Chinese research chemist. The pair lived throughout South China, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Ling became interested in antiques prior to moving abroad, and eventually opened an antique shop in Shanghai in 1938 called the Green Dragon. When the Lings moved to Singapore in 1951, Helen Ling opened another shop which she operated until her death in 1982.
Ling co-founded the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society, Singapore in 1971.
Provenance:
Donated by Ann Ling in 2017.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.
Helen D. Ling Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Ann Ling, 2017.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Subject wears long skirt but is nude to the waist.
Local Numbers:
RSN 4841
General:
Similar to RSN 7493.
Currently stored in box 1.1.26 [142]. Orig. no. 147-E.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. The original glass plate is available for inspection if necessary in the Archives Center. A limited number of fragile glass negatives and positives in the collection can be viewed directly in the Archives Center by prior appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Period latern slides taken in the mid to late 1930's pertaining to objects in Mr. Cox's collection, namely ceramics, bronzes, lacquer and figures found at archaeological sites in Changsha, Hunan province, dating primarily from the Zhou and Han Dynasties and from the Warring States period.
At a later date, a 5 minute 16mm film of the annual Dragon Boat Festival, shot in Changsha, Hunan province, in 1935 was added to this collection by the donor. The film was converted into both Beta and VHS cassette formats.
Arrangement:
Series 1: Tombs & grave at Changsha (Hunan Province), 1936-1937
Series 2: Changsha Exhibition (Yale, 1939)
Series 3: Objects from the same Chu Tomb, Changsha
Series 4: Bronze vessels
Series 5: Bronze objects
Series 6: Bronze mirrors
Series 7: Bronze object
Series 8: Chu pottery
Series 9: Han and later ceramics
Series 10: Chu wooden "Zhenmushou"
Series 11: Chu wooden burial figures
Series 12: Other Chu wooden pieces
Series 13: Chu lacquer pieces
Series 14: Lacquer pattern
Series 15: Others
Series 16: Chu silk manuscript
Biographical / Historical:
John Hadley Cox (b. 1913) was a collector of Chinese archaeological ceramic, pottery and bronze vessels, predominantly from the Ch'angsha region of Hunan Province, South Central China. Upon graduating from Yale University in 1935, he spent two years teaching at Yale University's Yale-in-China program in Changsha. In 1991, Mr.Cox also donated 106 potsherds of Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese and Chinese origin to the Freer Gallery Study Collection. Mr. Cox also left numerous items of his collection to the art gallery of his alma mater.
Local Numbers:
FSA A1991.07
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
