Pitch-pot
date: label: Date
content: 1368-1644
label: Period
content: Ming dynasty
notes: label: Description
content: Hexagonal vessel (with two of the sides wider than the other four, thus providing a front/back-and-sides orientation), tapering slightly towards the top opening, with a pronounced angular bulge around the vessel about one-third from the bottom, and four tall, hexagonal, open-end projections at the top. The entire vessel sits on a high double hexagonal base. Poorly cast in one piece.
label: Description
content: Surface: green patina with heavy incrustations of lighter green and orange-colored earth.
label: Description
content: Decoration: Each of the six panels on the tubular section of the vessel is decorated with a miniature arrow-holder in relief, with the front one holding the greatest number of arrows. Four of these panels bear a two-character inscription above the arrow-holder; they read: ???, "huang-hu" [Chn], "kuan-erh" [Chn], and ? erh [Chn]. Two rows of stylized lotus petals ornament the juncture of the tube and the large projection. On the latter, each of the six panels is decorated with a creature in relief: a "ch'i-lin" and a phoenix on the front and back, two lioins and two stags on the sides. The four projections around the mouth of the vessel have a "lei-wan" background on their panels, and a human figure in relief on the front panel of the front and back projections. Incised floral design on the remaining surfaces. The base simulates a balustrade by means of the shape of its openwork panels.
label: Provenance
content: To 1911
label: Provenance
content: Pong, Beijing, to 1911 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1911 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Pong in 1911 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See Original Bronze List, S.I. 222, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Pong (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: casting
label: Topic
content: metal
label: Topic
content: bronze
label: Topic
content: Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
label: Topic
content: lotus
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1911.67
objectType: label: Type
content: Vessel
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Bronze
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 55.4 x 24.1 cm (21 13/16 x 9 1/2 in)