A Phoenix and two cranes under a tree
date: label: Date
content: 16th-17th century
label: Period
content: Ming dynasty
notes: label: Label
content: Known since the Song dynasty (960-1279) as the "king of birds," the phoenix symbolizes the emperor's power and prestige. Here, the regal phoenix towers over the other birds, who seem loath to gaze directly at it. The phoenix is often portrayed flanked by attendant birds-a role played here by two cranes. Moreover, a number of objects are exclusively associated with this mythical bird, among them the paulownia (wu tong) tree, whose branches it is believed are the only ones upon which a phoenix is willing to perch.
label: Provenance
content: To 1916
label: Provenance
content: Li Wenqing (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1916 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1916 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Li Wenqing, in New York, in 1916 [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 Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 1263, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. See also, LVC Catalogue, 1915, No. 30.
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: Nine Deaths, Two Births: Xu Bing's Phoenix Project (April 27 to September 2, 2013)
label: Exhibition History
content: Beyond Brushwork: Symbolism in Chinese Painting (April 29 to November 26, 2006)
label: Exhibition History
content: Ancient Chinese Paintings, Sculptures, and Jade Objects from the Collection formed by Charles Lang Freer (November 15 to December 08, 1917)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Li Wenqing 李文卿 (ca. 1869-1931) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: crane
label: Topic
content: tree
label: Topic
content: phoenix
label: Topic
content: Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644)
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: F1916.91
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ink and color on silk
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 176.3 x 92 cm (69 7/16 x 36 1/4 in)