Provenance Information

Purchased by Mr. James W. Alsdorf, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., from Spink & Son, Ltd., London, England, in 1976. Attempts to determine when and from whom Spink & Son, Ltd., acquired the object were unsuccessful. Mrs. James W. Alsdorf publicly promised the work to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997, signed a promised gift agreement for the work in 2002, and gave the work to the Art Institute in 2012.

Exhibition Information

“The Ideal Image” – Asia House Gallery, New York, New York (November 1978 – December 3, 1978); The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (March 24 – May 6, 1979).

"A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection" – The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (August 2 – October 26, 1997).

“Realm of the Gods” – Memphis Brooks Museum, Memphis, Tennessee (April 30 – July 23, 2000).

The object has been on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, in the Alsdorf Galleries of Indian, Southeast Asian, Himalayan and Islamic Art from December 2008 to the present.

Publication Information

Pratapaditya Pal, The Ideal Image (The Asia Society, New York, New York, 1978), p. 112, plate 64.

Jerome M. Eisenberg, “Indian and South-East Asian art from the Alsdorf collection,” in Minerva, vol. 8, no. 5, (Great Britain, September/October 1997), pp. 15-18.

Pratapaditya Pal with contributions by Stephen Little, A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Thames and Hudson, New York, New York, 1997), p. 320: 215, plate p. 165.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

This acquisition falls within two exceptions.

First, the cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. This object has provenance established to at least 1976 when it was acquired by Mr. Alsdorf from Spink & Son, Ltd. Attempts to determine when and from whom Spink & Son, Ltd., acquired the object were unsuccessful. The sculpture has been in several exhibitions, including a 1978-79 exhibition in New York and Chicago, and it has been published three times, including in two major catalogues of South Asian art: The Ideal Image (1978) and A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art (1997). In addition, the acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because the seated Parshvanath is an important addition to the museum’s collection of early Jain art as well as the art of the Gupta period which was otherwise poorly represented in the museum’s collection.

Second, the acquisition of the object was by gift and the object was promised to the Art Institute prior to 2008. Mrs. Alsdorf publicly promised the work to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and thereafter signed a promised gift agreement for the work in 2002.

Provenance Information

Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, by 1972; purchase by Alan R. Brodie, Chicago, Illinois May 8, 1972; bequeathed to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 2012.

Exhibition Information

None

Publication Information

None

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Based on the results of provenance research, the Art Institute of Chicago can make an informed judgment that the object was outside its probable country of modern discovery before 1970. Alan Brodie, the former owner, maintained file cards with detailed notes on each of his art acquisitions. Each card was apparently initiated when the object was first acquired and then additional notes seem to have been added contemporaneously, as information about the object became available. According to the card for these objects, which is in the curator's files, Mr. Brodie acquired them from the Richard Gray Gallery on May 8, 1972. By fax dated January 13, 2012, the Gray Gallery confirmed that, at that time of Mr. Brodie's purchase, the gallery often sold pre-Columbian objects on a consignment basis for Andre Emmerich, Inc. (New York, New York). The fax included a copy of an invoice dated May 15, 1972 that referenced a payment due to Andre Emmerich, Inc. for a "Pair of Maya vases." The Gray Gallery believes this invoice is for the consignment payment due to Andre Emmerich, Inc. after the sale of these objects to Mr. Brodie. The gallery does not have the invoice for the sale to Mr. Brodie. Andre Emmerich, Inc. is no longer in business and we have been unable to determine when or from whom it acquired the objects. Presumably, however, first Andre Emmerich, Inc. and then the Richard Gray Gallery were in possession of the object for some period of time prior to May 8, 1972. The acquisition of these objects furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because they expand the scope of the Art Institute of Chicago's pre-Columbian holdings in a new direction.

Provenance Information

Louisiana Gallery (Joan Crystal), Houston, Texas, by mid-/late 1970s, probably before 1977; sold to Balene McCormick, Houston, Texas, then Santa Fe, New Mexico, mid-/late 1970s, probably 1977; sold to Robert and Marianne Huber Fine Arts (Huber Primitive Art), Dixon, Illinois and New York, New York, after 1977; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, 2008.

Exhibition Information

None

Publication Information

Elizabeth Irene Pope, "Vessel with Bird and Peccary Heads," Notable Acquisitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Studies 35, 2 (2009), pp. 6-7.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

Based on the results of provenance research, the Art Institute of Chicago can make an informed judgment that the object was outside its probable country of modern discovery before 1970. The Art Institute of Chicago acquired this object in 2008 from Robert and Marianne Huber Fine Arts (Huber Primitive Art), Dixon, Illinois and New York, New York. According to a letter from Marianne Huber to the curator, the object was previously owned by Balene McCormick, a collector who purchased it in or around 1977 from the Louisiana Gallery in Houston, Texas. The Louisiana Gallery acquired the object in the mid to late 1970's, but likely before 1977. Attempts to contact the Louisiana Gallery were unsuccessful, as the gallery is no longer in business. The acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because the object represents another form of Maya ceramic art and illustrates another aspect of mythological and kingship iconography from the two important Maya vases already in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection.

Provenance Information

Acquired by the father of Charlotte Krueger in Beijing, China prior to 1912; Krueger family relocated to Germany around 1912; inherited by Charlotte Krueger, Germany, after 1912 (exact date unknown); inherited by anonymous collector (name on file at the Art Institute of Chicago), Berlin, Germany, 1999; purchased by anonymous collector (name on file at the Art Institute of Chicago) (residence unknown) at auction in Cologne, Germany in 2007; purchased by Fred Eychaner and Tommy Yang Guo of Chicago, Illinois at auction at Christie’s, New York, New York in 2008; donated to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2008.

Exhibition Information

On view in the Art Institute of Chicago's gallery of Chinese bronzes since May 2009, Chicago, Illinois.

Publication Information

Asiatische Kunst — Asian Art (auction catalog, Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne, Germany, December 7/8, 2007), lot 939;

Masterworks of Ancient and Imperial China (auction catalog, Christie’s, New York, New York, September 17, 2008), lot 555, pp. 26-27;

The Art Institute of Chicago Annual Report, 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), colorplate and p. 19;

Elinor Pearlstein, “Wine Flask (Hu),” Notable Acquisitions at the Art Institute of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 35, 2 (2010), pp. 32-33, 93, Chicago, Illinois.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

A collector, who asked to remain anonymous but whose name is on file at the museum, purchased this object at auction in Cologne, Germany, in 2007 and then sold it at Christie’s in 2008. When he sold it at Christie’s, he gave Christie’s a letter he had received from the immediate prior owner (i.e., the person who sold it at the Cologne auction). That letter explained that the object was originally acquired by the father of Charlotte Krueger sometime before 1912 while the Krueger family was living in China. The Krueger family left China for Germany in approximately 1912, apparently taking the object with them. Ms. Krueger inherited the object from her father and then subsequently bequeathed the object to the prior owner, who decided to sell it at the Cologne auction about ten years later. The museum has a copy of this letter in its files and has confirmed that the person whose name appears as the author of the letter is a retired, well-published biochemistry professor in Berlin. The museum has been unable to contact the writer, however, because he also asked to remain anonymous. The acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it illustrates an important stylistic prototype for two vessels in the museum's collection that are from one century later.

Provenance Information

Acquired by George and Katherine Fan of Ossining, New York in Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China in 1990’s (exact date unknown); donated to The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2011.

Exhibition Information

“Ancient Chinese Bronzes from the Shouyang Studio: The Katherine and George Fan Collection.” Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China (October 19, 2008-February 7, 2009); Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China (October 19-August 2, 2009); Ningbo Museum of Art, Ningbo, Peoples Republic of China (November 14-December 20, 2009); the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (November 6, 2010-January 2, 2011).

Publication Information

Ancient Chinese Bronzes from the Shouyang Studio: The Katherine and George Fan Collection (exh. cat., Shanghai Museum and Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China, 2008), cat. 2, cat. 6.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. Dr. George Fan, who together with his wife donated these objects to the Art Institute, is a Chinese-American collector who is currently an advisor to the Shanghai Museum. In 2008, the Shanghai Museum and the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong co-organized an exhibition of Dr. Fan’s bronzes that included these objects. This exhibition, accompanied by the catalogue cited above, opened at the Shanghai Museum in October 2008 and was subsequently shown at the Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and at the Ningbo Museum of Art. With the assistance of administrators of the Shanghai Museum, it was also shown at the Art Institute of Chicago from November 6, 2010 to January 2, 2011. It is our understanding that Dr. Fan offered to donate to China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) those pieces in his collection that government officials deemed should remain in China and in November 2009 transferred to the SACH nine vessels that SACH officials had selected. Neither the Shanghai Museum nor the SACH asked that the two objects listed above be returned to China. In light of the public exhibition of the objects, the familiarity of the Shanghai Museum and SACH with the objects, and the absence of a request from SACH for the objects, the museum determined that they could be acquired.

The acquisition of these vessels furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because they are examples of an important formative stage of Chinese bronze casting. In addition, the vessels illustrate clear stylistic and technical prototypes for well-published examples in the Art Institute collection that were acquired in the 1920s and 1930s.

Provenance Information

T. Fujita, Tokyo, Japan and Lugano, Switzerland in the 1970's; in the collection of the Kurashiki Ninagawa Museum, Kurashiki, Okayama County, Japan, by 1980, then to the Kyoto Girishia Roma Bijutsukan, Kyoto, Japan, until about 2007; sold by Mr. Akira Ninagawa at aution through Christie's New York, New York, June 4, 2008, lot 225, to Phoenix Ancient Art, New York, New York; purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2009.

Exhibition Information

Das Tier in der Antike, 400 Werke ägyptischer, griechischer, etruskischer, und römischer Kunst aus privatem und öffentlichem Besitz, Zürich Archäologischen Institut der Universität, Zürich , Switzerland, September 21-November 17, 1974).

In collection of Kurashiki Ninagawa Museum, Kurashiki, Okayama County, Japan, by 1980; exhibition dates unknown.

Thereafter in collection of Kyoto Girishia Roma Bijutsukan, Kyoto, Japan, until about 2007; exhibition dates unknown.

International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, New York, October 17-23, 2008, Phoenix Ancient Art, Stand B-15.

The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, November 2009-February 2012 in gallery 156; November 2012-present in gallery 152.

Publication Information (list publication name, place(s), title and dates):

Bloesch, Hansjörg, Das Tier in der Antike, 400 Werke ägyptischer, griechischer, etruskischer, und römischer Kunst aus privatem und öffentlichem Besitz (Zürich, Switzerland,1974), p. 53, no. 322, pl. 55, 322a and 322b.

n.a. The Ancient and Modern Art in the Kurashiki Museum (Tokyo, Japan, 1980), pl. 60(A).

Simon, Erika, The Kurashiki Ninagawa Museum: Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities (Mainz on Rhine, Germany, 982, pp. 155, 182-4, no. 115 (illus).

Drukker, Anja, “The Ivy Painter in Friesland,” in Enthousiasmos: Essays on Greek and Related Pottery Presented to J. M. Hemelrijk (Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1986), pp. 39-48, no. 41.

Werner, Ingrid, Dionysos in Etruria: The Ivy Leaf Group, Skrifter Utgivna au Svenska Institutet I Rome, Acta Instituti Romani Regni Seuciae, 4, LVII (Stockholm, Sweden, 2005), p. 31, pl. 27, no. 4/6/6.1.

Christie’s New York Antiquities (New York, New York, June 4, 2008), lot 225.

Phoenix Ancient Art, (Geneva, Switzerland, 2008, 1), pp. 38-39, 104, no. 27.

Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), pp. 19, 25 (ill.).

Publication Information

Published:
Bloesch, Hansjörg, Das Tier in der Antike, 400 Werke ägyptischer, griechischer, etruskischer, und römischer Kunst aus privatem und öffentlichem Besitz (Zürich, 1974), p. 53, no. 322, pl. 55, 322a and 322b.
n.a. The Ancient and Modern Art in the Kurashiki Museum (Tokyo, 1980), pl. 60(A).
Simon, Erika, The Kurashiki Ninagawa Museum: Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities (Mainz on Rhine), 1982, pp. 155, 182-4, no. 115 (illus).
Drukker, Anja, “The Ivy Painter in Friesland,” in Enthousiasmos: Essays on Greek and Related Pottery Presented to J. M. Hemelrijk (Amsterdam, 1986), pp. 39-48, no. 41.
Werner, Ingrid, Dionysos in Etruria: The Ivy Leaf Group, Skrifter Utgivna au Svenska Institutet I Rome, Acta Instituti Romani Regni Seuciae, 4, LVII (Stockholm, 2005), p. 31, pl. 27, no. 4/6/6.1.
Christie’s New York Antiquities, June 4, 2008, lot 225.
Phoenix Ancient Art, (Geneva, Switzerland, 2008, 1), pp. 38-39, 104, no. 27.
The Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), pp. 19, 25 (ill.).

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. The 2008 Christie’s catalog cited the provenance for the object as “with T. Fujita, 1970s.” Mr. Fujita is now deceased, and two letters to Mr. Akira Ninagawa of the Kurashiki Ninagawa Museum requesting additional information regarding the object's prior ownership remain unanswered. However, the object has been published eight times since 1974, and also has an extensive exhibition history. In addition, this acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it is an extremely fine example of an Etruscan vase that emulates a Greek vessel shape and decorative technique.

Provenance Information

Purchased by Harlan J. Berk of Chicago, Illinois from Gorny and Mosch, Munich, Germany, Auction 164, March 17, 2008, lot 235; purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2008.

Exhibition Information

The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, October 3, 2008-present.

Publication Information

The Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), p. 20.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. The date and circumstances of this coin’s discovery are not known. Ancient coins circulated widely and have been found within the present-day borders of many countries. Mr. Berk states that in approximately 1996, twelve years prior to his actual acquisition of the coin, a Pennsylvania dealer acting on behalf of an undisclosed collector offered to sell the same coin to him. In addition, this acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it is a very early example of a coin bearing a profile portrait.

Provenance Information

George Zakos of Basel, Switzerland since at least 1965 as reported by the owner of Ariadne Galleries to Mrs. Walter Alexander [email in curatorial file]; purchased by Ariadne Galleries of New York, New York in or around 1975; purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander of Geneva, Illinois in 1985; donated to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2008.

Exhibition Information

2008.563-569, 2008.598-2008.600, 2008.608 and 2008.615, the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, October 3, 2008-November 30, 2010, November 11, 2012-present.

Publication Information

Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), pp. 19-20.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Informed judgement that works were outside of the country of modern discovery before 1970

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

This acquisition falls within two exceptions.

First, based on the results of provenance research, the Art Institute of Chicago can make an informed judgment that the object was outside its probable country of modern discovery before 1970. The collection of fifty-eight objects was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Alexander in 1985 from Ariadne Galleries of New York, New York. According to Mrs. Walter Alexander, the owner of Ariadne Galleries reported to her that he purchased the entire collection from George Zakos of Basel, Switzerland, around 1975, and that it was his understanding that Mr. Zakos had owned the objects for at least ten years. The Art Institute of Chicago has been unable to confirm this information with Mr. Zakos, as he is now deceased.

Second, the collection was promised to the Art Institute of Chicago prior to 2008. On at least two occasions prior to 2005, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander communicated their intention to gift the entire collection to the Art Institute of Chicago to Karen Manchester, Chair and McIlvaine Curator of Ancient and Byzantine Art. These communications are documented in the curatorial files of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The acquisition of these objects furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because they are fine examples of cast bronze offerings from the Geometric Period.