Crab
(Japan and Korea )
This crab is so life-like that one would think it was cast from life; however, evidence of tool marks made in the original model raise the possibility that this is essentially an artistic interpretation. However, individual parts may have been cast indirectly from dead specimens and then worked up; the use of a punch tool on the shells is very clear.
Little is known about this artist except that he cast his signature on the underside. He is assumed to have worked at about the same time as Seimin. Perhaps he set out to demonstrate his virtuosity by competing with life casting.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
William T. Walters, Baltimore, before 1884 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894, by inheritance; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
1995 | The Allure of Bronze. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
1/20/2016 | Examination | Examined |
1/20/2016 | Examination | Examined in preparation for exhibition. |
Geographies
Japan (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 15/16 × W: 8 3/8 × D: 5 7/8 in. (7.5 × 21.2 × 15 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by William T. Walters, before 1884
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.1364