square ding (ting) tripod with four legs, the body as well as the upper portion of the four legs is decorated with "t'ao-t'ieh" zoomorphic design. One of the leg was recast after the rest of the body has been completed, thus had a less refined craftmanship and joint line at its base. The double loop handles are also decorated with zoomorphic design. A group of three inscription is cast on the upper portion of the interior wall, which reads as Fu (father) Ji (day name), followed by an symbolic representation of a chariot, possibly a clan emblem. The interior is plain, the animal bone remains attached to the bottom and variations in patina patterns with a line running through the middle indicates that the vessel was once filled with cooked meat offerings, presumably in a Shang elite burial in late second millennium B.C.E.
Subject Matter
known as the ding tripod for cooking and presentation of food, usually animal meat, in ancestral rituals of early China. The narrow upper register of the body of the vessel is decorated with Kui dragons, face-to-face around the top. The dragons have open mouths, long thin bodies that end in curled tails. The body of the vessel is decorated with tao-tie masks with staring eyes and above which are broad, curving horns. The nose is formed by the raised flanges that divide each mask in half. At the bottom is the open, hook-like jaws. The upper sections of the legs and the two loop handles are also decorated with zoomorphic designs of masks and dragons.
Label Copy
The "ding," an object used for offering food to ancestors and for cooking, was the most important food container among ancient Chinese ritual bronzes. The form of the square "ding" was probably derived from a wooden prototype. The "t'ao-t'ieh" mask design on this piece is the most prevalent decorational pattern found on ancient Chinese bronzes. "T'ao-t'ieh" was a mythical animal which had a head but no body. No matter how much it ate, it could never get enough. Such a mask on a food vessel might be a caution against overeating.
Metalworking emerged around 2000 BCE in China, with bronze vessels appearing around 1600 to 1500 BCE in what is known as the Shang dynasty (DATES). Shang society followed the Neolithic societies of Northern China and is the first historically recorded civilization of China. Chinese writing was invented by the Shang and the short inscriptions they left on oracle bones and bronze vessels, along with extensive excavations, show a complex and highly organized society headed by a king and his family, administered by officials, and serviced by craftsmen, slaves, and prisoners of war. The dynasty occupied three capitals in Henan province, the last of which, Anyang, (ca. 1300-1050 BCE) was located south of present-day Beijing. It was in Anyang that some of the world’s greatest masterpieces of bronze art came into being.
The ding was the most important cooking vessel in the Shang, used for offering food to ancestors and for cooking. Most ding vessels are round in form and stand on three legs. This four-legged variant with a rectangular body, known as a fang ding (square ding), is thought to have been for the exclusive use of royalty. The square form was probably derived from a wooden prototype.
The taotie mask design on the center is the most prevalent decoration found on Shang bronzes. Taotie was a mythical animal that had a head but no body. No matter how much it ate, it could never get enough. A taotie mask on a food vessel might be a caution against overeating. Above the taotie is a register of with two pairs of confronting kui dragons. These legless creatures have been identified in Shang pictograms as the form for the Chinese word long or “dragon.” The interior of this square ding has two incised characters reading “fu (father) ji (name of day),” followed by a symbol of a chariot, possibly a clan emblem.
(Label for UMMA Chinese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)
Inscription
Inscribed on interior side of vessel: "Father Chi," "Chariot"
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
square ding (ting) tripod with four legs, the body as well as the upper portion of the four legs is decorated with "t'ao-t'ieh" zoomorphic design. One of the leg was recast after the rest of the body has been completed, thus had a less refined craftmanship and joint line at its base. The double loop handles are also decorated with zoomorphic design. A group of three inscription is cast on the upper portion of the interior wall, which reads as Fu (father) Ji (day name), followed by an symbolic representation of a chariot, possibly a clan emblem. The interior is plain, the animal bone remains attached to the bottom and variations in patina patterns with a line running through the middle indicates that the vessel was once filled with cooked meat offerings, presumably in a Shang elite burial in late second millennium B.C.E.
Subject Matter
known as the ding tripod for cooking and presentation of food, usually animal meat, in ancestral rituals of early China. The narrow upper register of the body of the vessel is decorated with Kui dragons, face-to-face around the top. The dragons have open mouths, long thin bodies that end in curled tails. The body of the vessel is decorated with tao-tie masks with staring eyes and above which are broad, curving horns. The nose is formed by the raised flanges that divide each mask in half. At the bottom is the open, hook-like jaws. The upper sections of the legs and the two loop handles are also decorated with zoomorphic designs of masks and dragons.
Label Copy
The "ding," an object used for offering food to ancestors and for cooking, was the most important food container among ancient Chinese ritual bronzes. The form of the square "ding" was probably derived from a wooden prototype. The "t'ao-t'ieh" mask design on this piece is the most prevalent decorational pattern found on ancient Chinese bronzes. "T'ao-t'ieh" was a mythical animal which had a head but no body. No matter how much it ate, it could never get enough. Such a mask on a food vessel might be a caution against overeating.
Metalworking emerged around 2000 BCE in China, with bronze vessels appearing around 1600 to 1500 BCE in what is known as the Shang dynasty (DATES). Shang society followed the Neolithic societies of Northern China and is the first historically recorded civilization of China. Chinese writing was invented by the Shang and the short inscriptions they left on oracle bones and bronze vessels, along with extensive excavations, show a complex and highly organized society headed by a king and his family, administered by officials, and serviced by craftsmen, slaves, and prisoners of war. The dynasty occupied three capitals in Henan province, the last of which, Anyang, (ca. 1300-1050 BCE) was located south of present-day Beijing. It was in Anyang that some of the world’s greatest masterpieces of bronze art came into being.
The ding was the most important cooking vessel in the Shang, used for offering food to ancestors and for cooking. Most ding vessels are round in form and stand on three legs. This four-legged variant with a rectangular body, known as a fang ding (square ding), is thought to have been for the exclusive use of royalty. The square form was probably derived from a wooden prototype.
The taotie mask design on the center is the most prevalent decoration found on Shang bronzes. Taotie was a mythical animal that had a head but no body. No matter how much it ate, it could never get enough. A taotie mask on a food vessel might be a caution against overeating. Above the taotie is a register of with two pairs of confronting kui dragons. These legless creatures have been identified in Shang pictograms as the form for the Chinese word long or “dragon.” The interior of this square ding has two incised characters reading “fu (father) ji (name of day),” followed by a symbol of a chariot, possibly a clan emblem.
(Label for UMMA Chinese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)
Inscription
Inscribed on interior side of vessel: "Father Chi," "Chariot"
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Silver spoon with figure of a man at the terminal end of the handle
Subject Matter
Originating in early 15th-century Europe, Apostle spoons became popular christening and baptismal gifts by the early 16th century. A complete set traditionally contains thirteen spoons with representations of Christ (the Master spoon) and the twelve Apostles, each with his respective emblem, at the terminal end of the handle. The spoons—usually made out of silver, but sometime other metals such as pewter—were especially fashionable in Germany, Holland and England and were often gifted by a godparent to his or her godchild. The wealthiest godparents would gift a complete set, others a smaller number, and the most modest a single spoon. Complete sets of all twelve Apostle spoons (such as this set from Germany represented here) are quite rare, while sets including the figure of Jesus on a larger spoon are even more exceedingly rare.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Gold spoon with thin handle that widens at the end with egg-and-dart-like motif along edges
Subject Matter
Many silver luxury items in Colonial America were imported from Europe, but by the late 17th century American silversmiths began producing spoons, tankards, and tea services for domestic use and display, many of which emulated the aesthetics of British and Northern European design and ornament. The Tariff of 1842 imposed heavy taxes on imported goods to America, such as silver, which, along with a flourishing economy following the Civil War and an increase in the demand for elegant dining silverware, led to an increase in production. As the industry grew from local workshops to large factories, American silver manufacturers, such as Kirk & Sons and Tiffany & Company were established.
During this time the role of the designer became more important in silversmithing. The prestigious New York jewelry firm Tiffany & Co. originally founded in 1837 by Charles Louis Tiffany (whose son, Louis Comfort Tiffany, became renowned for his glasswork and jewelry) employed a succession of highly influential and skilled designers, and soon became well known for creating beautiful pieces, whose elegant and timeless designs continue to remain popular even today.
Inscription
Monogram: SST? On back, lower part of handle: TIFFANY & CO. MAKER C 18 KT. PAT... 190...
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Gold spoon with thin handle that widens at the end with a decorative element at the tip
Subject Matter
Many silver luxury items in Colonial America were imported from Europe, but by the late 17th century American silversmiths began producing spoons, tankards, and tea services for domestic use and display, many of which emulated the aesthetics of British and Northern European design and ornament. The Tariff of 1842 imposed heavy taxes on imported goods to America, such as silver, which, along with a flourishing economy following the Civil War and an increase in the demand for elegant dining silverware, led to an increase in production. As the industry grew from local workshops to large factories, American silver manufacturers, such as Kirk & Sons and Tiffany & Company were established.
During this time the role of the designer became more important in silversmithing. The prestigious New York jewelry firm Tiffany & Co. originally founded in 1837 by Charles Louis Tiffany (whose son, Louis Comfort Tiffany, became renowned for his glasswork and jewelry) employed a succession of highly influential and skilled designers, and soon became well known for creating beautiful pieces, whose elegant and timeless designs continue to remain popular even today.
Inscription
Date on back of handle: 1906-1956 Monogram: TSM On back, lower part of handle: TIFFANY & CO. 14 K. GOLD PAT. 19056
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
This enamel roundel depicts three figures in an interior. In the foreground a man with a soft pointed cap maneuvers small round loaves of bread in an oven with a long wooden paddle. Behind him a woman with an elaborate headdress and another figure prepare more loaves for baking. The silvery gray tones of this grisaille enamel impart the scene with a subtle luminosity.
Subject Matter
This enamel roundel, which probably decorated a piece of tableware, depicts a baker arranging bread in his oven while two women prepare more loaves behind him. This tranquil scene of baking once accompanied eleven other roundels, each portraying a different labor representative of one of the months of the year. Although no indication of the particular month appears in this enamel, other closely related works reveal that it represents December.
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
The art of enamel enjoyed a long history in the city of Limoges in central France, beginning in the mid-twelfth century, when the city first emerged as a commercial center of enamel production. The brilliant, jewel-like qualities of enamel are created by fusing a glass or vitreous substance onto a prepared metal ground in a kiln, a technique that could be applied to a broad range of objects. This piece probably decorated the rim of a dish and depicts bakers at work. The tranquil scene once accompanied eleven other roundels that portrayed a different labor for each month. Although no indication of the represented month appears in this piece, other closely related works reveal that it stands for December. Whereas medieval Limoges enamels—examples of which are on view across the gallery— employed bright, vivid colors, enamels of the mid-sixteenth century, such as this piece, were typically rendered in tones of grey, or grisaille. To create this appearance, translucent white layers of enamel were applied over a dark ground to create a range of silvery tones that lent a subtle luminosity.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Wilson and Davis were silver manufacturers of mostly tableware and flatware or utensils and were located in London, England. The shape and design of this piece is typical of their style.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
