Frontal from the base of a funerary couch with Sogdian musicians and dancers and Buddhist divinities
date: label: Date
content: 550-577
label: Period
content: Period of Division, Northern Qi dynasty, Northern Qi dynasty
notes: label: Label
content: This is the front of a funerary couch, or platform, that supported a coffin. Scholars suggest it was made for Cave 4 at northern Xiangtangshan; it was rare, however, for a Buddhist cave to serve as a burial place. The couch is also unusual for its combination of Persian and Chinese elements. In the center, the censer topped by a bird and flanked by heavenly beings is a typical Chinese Buddhist image. The musicians and dancers in the pearl-encircled roundels represent secular Central Asian entertainers depicted in a Persian style.
label: Provenance
content: To 1915
label: Provenance
content: Lai-Yuan and Company, New York to 1915 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1915 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Lai-Yuan and Company in 1915 [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 Miscellaneous List, S.I. 684, pg. 164, 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: Exhibition History
content: Center of the World: China and the Silk Road (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
label: Exhibition History
content: Silk Road Exhibition (August 18 to December 25, 2011)
label: Exhibition History
content: Silk Road Luxuries from China (November 5, 2011 to January 3, 2016)
label: Exhibition History
content: Buddhist Art (May 9, 1993 to August 9, 2011)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Art—Stone Sculpture (September 1, 1979 to March 14, 1982)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, North Corridor (November 20, 1969 to December 11, 1984)
label: Exhibition History
content: Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)
label: Exhibition History
content: Centennial Exhibition, Gallery 17 (November 17, 1955 to January 1, 1963)
label: Exhibition History
content: Stone Sculpture, Gallery 17, 1923 (May 2, 1923 to November 17, 1955)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Lai-Yuan & Company (ca. 1915-April 1921) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Probably Ce xian, Henan province, China
topic: label: Topic
content: stone
label: Topic
content: relief seal
label: Topic
content: dancing
label: Topic
content: funerary
label: Topic
content: Period of Division (220 - 589)
label: Topic
content: Northern dynasties (386 - 581)
label: Topic
content: Northern Qi dynasty (550 - 577)
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: musician
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
label: Topic
content: dancer
setName: label: On View
content: West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Gallery 16: Center of the World: China and the Silk Road
label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: Related Online Resources
content: The Sogdians
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: F1915.110
objectType: label: Type
content: Sculpture
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Grey marble with traces of pigment
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 60.3 x 234 x 23.5 cm (23 3/4 x 92 1/8 x 9 1/4 in)