Object Details
Provenance
1938
W. Burchard, London [1]
To 1959
Abel William Bahr (1877-1959), Ridgefield, Connecticut [2]
From 1959 to 1960
Edna H. Bahr (d. 1978), by descent from her father, Abel William Bahr [3]
From 1960 to 1997
Paul Singer (1904-1997), Summit, New Jersey, purchased from Edna H. Bahr in 1960 [4]
From 1997
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, bequeathed by Paul Singer [5]
Notes:
[1] See Exhibition of Gold and Silver in Early Chinese Art (London: W. Burchard, November –December 1938), cat. 1 (ill.).
According to the catalogue’s foreword, the objects in the exhibition, including RLS1997.48.4508, had been collected in China during the previous year.
[2] Paul Singer’s acquisition of the plaque from Edna Bahr, the daughter of Abel W. Bahr, was mentioned in his correspondence with Henry Trubner and Zheng Dekun, see letter from Henry Trubner to Singer, dated June 21, 1960 and letter from Zheng Dekun to Singer, dated 24 July, 1960, Paul Singer Papers, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.
The collector Abel W. Bahr was born in Shanghai and lived in China until about 1911, when he moved first to London, then to New York, Montreal, and eventually Ridgefield, Connecticut.
[3] See note 1.
[4] See note 1. Singer discussed the circumstances of the plaque’s acquisition from the Bahr collection in his memoirs completed in February 1993, see Paul Singer, “Reminiscences of a Transient Custodian,” ms., Paul Singer Papers, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, p. 106-108. Shortly after the acquisition the plaque was exhibited and published in Emma Bunker, The Art of Eastern Chou (New York, The Chinese Society of America, 1962), cat. 20. Subsequently, it was reproduced in a catalogue of the Singer collection published on occasion of the exhibition curated by Max Loehr in 1965 and in a catalogue of the exhibition organized by Singer in 1972, see M. Loehr, Relics of Ancient China (New York 1965), cat. 53 (ill.); Early Chinese Gold and Silver (New York: China Institute in America, 1972), cat. 2 (ill.). The collection of Chinese art and antiquities assembled by Paul Singer over time was purchased by him on behalf of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, Jillian Sackler, The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities and later was transferred to the children of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler.
[5] Upon Paul Singer’s death in January 1997, his collection was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery by order of the Executors of the Estate under a loan agreement signed on February 1997. Shortly thereafter, the Sackler Gallery was vested with full ownership and title to the collection in full agreement by the Sackler Foundations and Sackler family members. The formal accession of the Singer collection was completed in 2012.
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Exhibition History
One Man’s Search for Ancient China: The Paul Singer Collection (January 19 to July 7, 2013)
Chu Symposium exhibition 1990 (April 18 - May 16, 1990)
Previous custodian or owner
Abel William Bahr (1877-1959)
Edna H. Bahr (1907-1986)
Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997)
Credit Line
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler
Date
6th-5th century BCE
Period
Eastern Zhou dynasty, Spring and Autumn period-early Warring States period
Accession Number
S2012.9.2076
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Jewelry and Ornament
Medium
Bronze with gold foil
Dimensions
H x W x D (overall): 13.1 x 9.5 x 0.1 cm (5 3/16 x 3 3/4 x 1/16 in)
Origin
China
Related Online Resources
Google Arts & Culture
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
casting
repoussé
metal
bronze
dragon
Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE)
Spring and Autumn period (770 - 476 BCE)
Warring States period (475 - 221 BCE)
China
Chinese Art
The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_S2012.9.2076