STUDY GUIDE

FREER GALLERY

 

Slide Presentation of Freer Gallery Visit
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1.  Jue (Ritual Drinking Cup, 1600-1500 BCE)  Gallery 15, Purchase No. 1986.6,  Ancient Chinese Pottery  and Bronze
What Dynasty?
Is this culture Neolithic?
What does this tell you about the accomplishments of the Neolithic Period?
Where was this vessel found?
What information from the Freer's description on the side wall do you consider important?
2.  Storage jars, Gallery 15, Purchase No. 73.18
Describe the shape of the storage jars.

 

Color?
Design?
How do the two jars differ?
Where were these jars found?  What is their period?  What Dynasty?
3.  Lei, Ritual Wine Container, 1300-1200, Gallery 15, Purchase No. 39.42.  (Case in the center of the room)
What type of animal is represented?
What is the design on the top of the vessel?
4.  Hu, Ritual Wine Container, Shang Dynasty--1200-1200 BCE, Purchase No. 48.1, (Wall Case on far side of Gallery 15)
What animals con you find on this vessel?

 

How do the designs of the registers differ?

 

Do you find the mask?  What about other animals.  Make a small sketch of the designs you observe.
Contrast this vessel with another Hu, no. 49.5

 

Do these designs suggest earlier styles?  Ceramic? How so?

 

5.  Yu, Ritual Wine Container, Shang Dynasty, 1200-1100 BCE, Gallery 15, No. 42.14 (In case on the right side of the Gallery)
Observe the vessel closely; what are the most striking features of the vessel?  What designed do you see on the surface?
How is the vessel divided?
Why was it divided in this fashion?
 Is there a second mask?  Are there any other animals?  Make a small sketch of the vessel showing features that most impressed you.
6.  Fang Jia, Shang Dynasty 1200-1100 BCE, Gallery 15, No. 15.12 (Wall on right side of the room)
What is the motif occupying the band just below the lid?
What designs do you find on the surface?
How many legs?
What is the animal on the handle?
Sketch the vessel.
7.  Fangi, Western Zhou--11th Century BCE, Gallery 14, Purchase No. 30.54 (Room of Western Zhou Bronzes
What is the motif occupying the band just below the lid?

 

Can you find the serpent?  Study the path of the serpent.
Can you find the birds on the lowest band?  These are typical of the early period.
Again, what designs do you find on the surface?  Is there a Taotie mask?  Sketch the designs.
8.  Ritual Water Basin, Pan, Western Zhou, 1000-950, Gallery 14, No. 1993.16
What is the animal in the center of the basin?
What is the origin of this design?
Is the design a Taoti?
Your Sketch!!
9.  Bird Shaped Wine Server, Eastern Zhou, 500-450 BCE Gallery 14, No. 61.30 (Left wall case in the Western Zhou Gallery)
How have the Bronze shapes changed

 

What do the designs on this bronze reveal?

 

Notice the actual feathering of the bird's coat.
10.  Incense Burner,  Late Qin or Early Han Dynasty, 200-100 BCE, Gallery 14, No. 47.15
What does the conical cover on the incense burner represent?
How many peaks do you see on the top?
Do you find any human figures or animals?  Where?

 

Where is the inlaid silver?
What is the relief on the base?

 

11.  Chariot Fitting, Zhou Dynasty, 300-250 BCE.
This ornament represents what animal?
What material makes up the teeth and the eyeballs?
What material is used for the pupil of the eye?
How and where was this ornament used?

 

Contrast this with the Tou (Late Zhou, 4th century BCE) in the same case.  What designs are found on the surface?  How was this vessel used?

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