Page 147 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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“…the Son of Heaven sacrificed to the Yellow Emperor in spring and then used an owl”

from Chou-li (Zhou li) and the Historical Memoirs of Ssu-ma Ch’ien (Shi ji by Si

Maqian). Tch’ou’s concluded, “ This vessel must accordingly be a wine jar which was

used in sacrificing to the Yellow Emperor.” (Tch’ou and Pelliot 1924, 9-10) The

catalogue’s Chineseness was enhanced by the contribution of the prestigious Sinologist

Paul Pelliot, who was known for his thorough understanding of Chinese language,

history, and culture. He provided the introduction as well as comments on Tch’ou’s

writing. 303

On the other hand, the catalogue stressed the bronzes’ formal and visual elements to

304
make them appeal to the Western audience. The catalogue featured large-size, high-

quality photographic reproductions, which replaced outline drawings in comparable

Chinese native catalogues such as Tao zhai ji jin lu or Xi qing gu jian (Fig. 44). 305 The

publication, with high quality photographs, was particularly significant in Loo’s time.

303 Though Pelliot and Tch’ou both concentrated on the Chinese contextual information,
they differed in method. Pelliot in some cases disagreed with Tch’ou in dating the
bronzes. Pelliot’s comment on Tch’ou’s writing was a response to Chinese traditional
bronze scholarship, which relied heavily on textual evidence and neglected
archaeological knowledge. The Burlington Magazine review of this catalogue
commented on the scholarship of Tch’ou and Pelliot, “His somewhat naïve adoption of
all manner of legendary attributions, while seeking to endow with picturesque
associations the objects illustrated, shakes one’s faith in his archaeological acumen. So
too, some of the dates assigned by him seem unduly speculative.” And “M. Pelliot has
contented himself with a few notes, mainly comments on the most imaginative flights of
the authors.” Review of Bronzes antiques de la Chine appartenant à C. T. Loo et cie by
Tch’ou Tö-yi and Paul Pelliot, The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs,Vol. 49, No.
28 (August 1926): 101.
304
The catalogue was published in French and English.
305
Tao zhai ji jin lu is the catalogue of Duan Fang’s famous bronze collection.Xi qing gu
jia is the catalogue of the Qing dynasty imperial collection compiled in the eighteenth
century.