Page 105 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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Loo knew very well that smaller museums like the Rhode Island School of Design

Museum, where few or no Chinese art experts were available, relied on opinions from

outside authorities. Loo wrote to Gordon B. Washburn at the RISD, quoting the MFA

curator and leading Asian art expert K. Tomita’s opinion: “Mr. Tomita has been here and

looked at a few of our fine gilt bronzes now on view and I will send you some

photographs of what Mr. Tomita thought best for your museum.” 218 Another strategy that

Loo used in his dealing with less prominent museums was to promote objects in less

known areas so that these museums could develop a specialization in their collections. In

October 1948, the Exhibition of East Asiatic Glass was staged at the Toledo Museum of

219
Art; Loo supplied a number of important specimens of Chinese glass. Some of Loo’s

exhibits were acquired by the museum. The exhibition review noted that this exhibition

stimulated quite an interest in the little explored field of glass-making in Eastern Asia

(Blair 1948, 195-6).

Like museums, which took advantage of the dynamics among dealers, C. T. Loo

capitalized on the competition in the museum world. 220 In his offer of two lions to the

MFA, Loo wrote to its director E. J. Holmes: “I wish to say that the Metropolitan

Museum is interested in the two lions and in case you should wish to have an option on

218 C. T. Loo to G.B. Washburn, April 27, 1948, folder C. T. Loo & Co., 1945-1949,
RISDA.
219
The Toledo Museum of Art, with its connection to the glass manufacturing business of
its founder Edward Libbey, was building a glass collection from different eras and
cultures (Toledo Museum of Art. http://www.toledomuseum.org/Info_history.htm).
220 See pp. 88-9.