Page 209 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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can be viewed as part of the tradition of representing the sensuous Oriental women, in

which “…the Oriental became the feminized and exotic vessel for colonial energy”

(Edwards 2000, 13). The meanings of the feminized spectacles that Loo launched,

however, were more nuanced. The eroticism in the Chinese art spectacle was less blatant,

and the participation of prestigious Chinese and American women often communicated

messages of beauty, cultivation, and glamour. In the 1930s and 1940s, women and

Chinese art spectacles became instrumental to war relief drives and China-US relations.

Women in Chinese Art

The Descriptive Catalogue of Ancient and Genuine Chinese Paintings published by

Loo’s firm in 1916 capitalized on the Western viewer’s stereotypical view of sensuous

and exotic Oriental women. The catalogue opened with a portrait of woman, The

Wonderful Girl of Ho-kien (He jian), attributed to Lu Tanwei in the Jin dynasty (Fig. 69).

Besides its attribution to a famous author and an early date, the painting stood out as the

first color plate in this mostly black-and-white catalogue. The catalogue emphasized the

feminine and decorative aspect of the woman Ho-kien (He jian) in the painting. About

two thirds of the text was devoted to the description of her costume, hairdo, facial

features, and attributes. The description presented a parade of opulent colors and precious

materials: “In this painting the girl’s headdress has two tufts of hair, and two falling

tresses, one on each side, tied with red bands. In the Wu-hsing section (Wu xing zhi)

五行志 of the Tsin Records it is stated that in the Yuan-kang (yuan kang) 元康 reign of

the Emperor Hwei (Hui di) 惠帝, women knotted their hair into falling tresses which they

bound with silk. The temples were adorned with turquoise clasps resembling wheels. In