Page 175 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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stained by age and has very minute crackles. It is interesting because the expression is

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stronger than in the later pieces.”
Archaeology and Rising Nationalism in China

While C. T. Loo was praised for his role in advancing “knowledge of China’s four-

thousand-year-old civilization” in America (La Farge 1950, 58), he was condemned as a

major culprit for the depletion of China’s art treasures. These conflicting views of Loo

need to be examined in the context of the rising nationalism in China.

In the first half of twentieth century the swirl of civil and international upheavals in

China stimulated an intense interest in its own history. Intellectuals like Liang Qichao

were acutely aware of the importance of historical consciousness to the growth of China

as a modern nation-state. Liang stated, “…history is the only one which has existed in

China for a long time. History is the foundation of scholarship. It is also a mirror of

people’s nature and the origin of patriotism. The rise of nationalism in Europe and the

growth of modern European countries are owing in part to the study of history.” (Wang

2001,16-17, originally from Xin shixue, in sanzhong, 3) In the search for a unifying force

for the nation, Chinese turned their eyes to their country’s distant past.

The picture of China’s ancient history, however, remained dim until the 1920s when

archaeological explorations yielded a series of earth-shattering finds. In 1920 J. Gunnar

Anderson located the prehistorical site in Zhou kou dian near Peking, and later he

discovered painted pottery culture sites. In 1923 Bronze Age tombs were opened at

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The Lohan and other statues in the group from Yixian, Hebei, have been dated the
eleventh century in the Liao dynasty. C. T. Loo to JDR Jr., April 27, 1916, folder 1370,
C. T. Loo 1916-1949, box 137, OMR-RAC.