Page 151 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market
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readers and prospective clients. In his retirement announcement in the 1950 issue of
Art News, Loo stated that his dealership was “…a very interesting profession which has
business combined with pleasure; Rarely one day has gone by without some excitement
of securing or planning to secure certain objects” (Loo 1950, 3). Loo often presented him
as an explorer-archaeologist-dealer in the press. La Farge noted in an Art News article,
“In 1915 he bought from Loo a group of archaic bronzes, the first in America. They were
dug up at night by farmers from the ground at An-yang—site of the capital of the Shang
emperors (1766-1122 BC)—smuggled past the local authorities and taken to Peking,
where they were acquired by Loo.” (La Farge 1950, 58) 317 Loo advertised the famous
Lohan statute (Met 21.76) in the American Art News as a hidden treasure. “This Lohan is
the last one, considered to be complete, of the set that was discovered in the cave near
Icheou 318 in Chihli Province and has come from China during the last few years. This is
the very same figure that was known to be hidden in some city in Chuhli Province.” 319
Discovery and provenance narratives were used as learned speculations to verify an
object’s place of origin as well as its archeological and historical significance in its native
context. The New York Times review of Loo’ s 1935 exhibition at the Jacques Seligmann
Galleries contained detailed archaeological information about Loo’s Juncun finds. It
stated, “Bronzes were discovered in the seventh tomb in Chin Ts’un, near Loyang, Honan
province, a discovery Mr. Loo mentions, that was commented upon by Bishop William
316 It is noteworthy that Loo often told his discovery tales in a personal and intimate tone.
These seemingly anecdotal and amusing tales were carefully constructed to engage
prospective clients.
317
“He” refers to Charles Lang Freer.
318 Yizhou or Yixian in Hebei province.
319 Art News, May 6, 1916, 5.
