Page 159 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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His identity as a dealer of Chinese origin was crucial to the authentication of the objects

he handled. Loo often emphasized that as a Chinese he could obtain objects directly from

China and that he was in a privileged position to understand Chinese history, culture, and

aesthetics. It is no coincidence that Loo combined Europeanness and Chineseness, both

of which were associated with culture, history, and refined taste. Heydt observed, “Being

married to a charming French woman, Mr. Loo was better able to understand European

taste in art and combine it with the Chinese appreciation of those things.” (Heydt 1957,

186) Heydt also noted that Loo’s gallery in Paris was “a mixture of Chinese and

European style” (Heydt 1957, 186).

Loo’s identification as Chinese also allowed him to defend himself against those who

accused him of depleting China’s national treasures. Loo claimed that as a Chinese he

was not involved in illicit transactions. He suggested that the Chinese should blame some

“foreigners”. He pointed out that the person who was responsible for the removal of the

famous relief panels of the Taizong emperor’s chargers was “a foreign dealer” (Loo

1950, 3). He further argued that as a Chinese, he was promoting Chinese art and culture

in other countries through his business.

While taking the advantage of being Chinese, Loo was acutely aware of the stigma

attached to the Chinese population in America. In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was

passed to curb the inflow of Chinese cheap labor into America. Chinese were presented

in nineteenth-century American visual culture as subjects for condescension in degrading

stereotypes. Harper’s Weekly, for instance, portrayed the Chinese immigrants in New

York as opium smokers, gamblers, and pagan worshippers (Tchen 2001, 240). The deep-