Page 161 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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terminated the transaction of the painting collection that Loo offered. In 1918,

Rockefeller wrote to Loo, questioning the authenticity of a porcelain beaker from Loo, “I

should not be willing to consider the purchase of this vase without feeling assured that in

the opinion of (an?) expert it is genuine……Can you send me a photograph showing the

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condition of the beaker before it was repaired!”

It is noticeable that in front of American public, Loo carefully presented him as a Euro-

American to avoid negative associations with the Chinese. He always appeared as a well-

dressed and cultivated Western-style gentleman/dealer (Fig. 51). In America, Loo

positioned himself not just as an American-style but a European-style dealer with a

European taste to avoid racial stereotyping.

Americanness

While C. T. Loo often identified himself as “C. T. Loo of Paris” in the U.S., Loo’s firm

was listed as “C. T. Loo of New York” in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art in

London during 1935-1936. Being a dealer of New York was a statement of Loo’s stature

in the international art world. In the twentieth century, the American collection of

Chinese art had surpassed its European counterpart. America, as the wealthiest and

largest art collecting nation, was home to Loo’s business.

Loo’s identity as an American dealer also had political implications, especially during

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the 1930s and 1940s when China and America formed a political alliance. The

Republican government in China eagerly sought guidance and assistance from the U.S. in

335
JDR Jr. to C. T. Loo, December 23, 1918, folder 1370, C. T. Loo 1916-1949, box 137,
OMR-RAC.
336 See Chapter Five, pp. 218-25.