Lateral stretcher from the base of a funerary couch with Sogdian musicians and a dancer
date: label: Date
content: 550-577
label: Period
content: Period of Division, Northern Qi dynasty
notes: label: Label
content: The Central Asian musicians and dancer, possibly of the Sogdian culture group, depicted on these panels attest to the international character of the Northern Qi dynasty, established in China in 550 following military conquest by people of Turkic origins. Musicians traveling the Silk Route introduced new instruments, such as harps and the bent-neck lute, which some scholars associate with the Persian barbat. The foreign lute influenced the development of the modern pipa, a lyrical Chinese lute now popular in chamber ensembles.
label: Label
content: These stone carvings once belonged to a stone platform that was made to support the coffin of a Northern Qi dignitary. Inverted lotus petals are a motif frequently seen in images associated with Buddhism, the faith of the Northern Qi rulers-form the border.
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: The 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. 683, 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: Virtue and Entertainment: Chinese Music in the Visual Arts (October 1, 2005 to May 29, 2006)
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: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: funerary
label: Topic
content: Period of Division (220 - 589)
label: Topic
content: Northern Qi dynasty (550 - 577)
label: Topic
content: pipa
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
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: F1915.336
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: 19.7 x 95.3 x 16.5 cm (7 3/4 x 37 1/2 x 6 1/2 in)