Page 166 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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opulent empire struck a deep chord in the American public consciousness, as illustrated

by Emma Louise Conantz’s Marco Polo-style account of Peking after her visit to the

newly established Palace Museum in the 1920s, “Here, since the days of the Ming the

Emperors lived; here they maintained all the splendor of an Oriental Court; here they

decided the destinies of millions of people.” (Conantz 1923, 58) (Fig.52) America’s

imperial complex was reflected in the media sensation created by Loo’s acquisition of a

Qing dynasty vase with royal pedigree. A New York Times article announced, “A famille

verte Kang-hsi hawthorn vase was bought by C. T. Loo for $3,100 at the American Art

Association-Anderson Galleries, Inc, …It is said to have been given to the former King

by the Emperor Kang-hsi and to have been taken out of Spain by Alfonso when he left

346
for France.”
At a time when the United States took the initiative to distinguish itself from European

powers in the international arena, collecting ancient Chinese art not only allowed

America to articulate its imperialist and capitalist power, but also offered its collectors

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and museums an opportunity to compete with and outdo their European competitors. In

the early twentieth century Okakura, for instance, urged the MFA to keep up with

archaeological developments in Asia because, “England and Germany are making great

efforts to explore and excavate in Asia…. unless we keep abreast of the vital movement

346 New York Times, November 19, 1932.
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Craig Clunas notes the similar dynamic between the British empire and its Western
rivals. He observes that British identity differentiates “not only from the other of Asia but
from more immediate colonial rivals such as France and latterly the United States”
(Clunas 2004, 463).