Yue ware vessel in the shape of a chimera (bixie)

A stand in the form of a chimera (bixie) with a socket on the back
Clay: gray, porcellanous.
Glaze: thin, dull grayish-green.

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Historical period(s)
Northern Wei dynasty, Period of Division, 5th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Style
Yue ware
Dimensions
H x W: 8.9 x 13.3 cm (3 1/2 x 5 1/4 in)
Geography
China, Zhejiang province
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1919.93
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Vessel

Keywords
chimera, China, green glaze, Northern Wei dynasty (386 - 534), Period of Division (220 - 589), stoneware, Yue ware
Provenance

To 1919
You Xiaoxi (late 19th-early 20th century), Shanghai, to 1919 [1]

1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from You Xiaoxi, in New York, in 1919 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 2618, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[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.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
You Xiaoxi (C.L. Freer source) late 19th-early 20th century

Description

A stand in the form of a chimera (bixie) with a socket on the back
Clay: gray, porcellanous.
Glaze: thin, dull grayish-green.

Label

Molded Yue-ware vessels like this were made in large quantities, but their function is unclear. They may have held a candle, or perhaps scholars dipped their writing brushes in the water-filled interior. In the Jin dynasty (265–420 C.E.), mythical lions, with exaggeratedly curled manes, and winged chimeras were protective images; huge stone examples guarded important tombs.

Published References
  • Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. vol. 10, pl. 10.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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