Page 212 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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reminiscent of Greek white marble sculptures (Fig. 70), the report stated, “(The two

Bodhisattva figures)…are said to be rare because of the nature of the material, white

marble being found only in Ting Chou, China, where they were excavated…Their faces

are serene, with an upright, almost rigid, pose of forms. The chests are exposed, except

413
for lotus-pendant-and-bead necklaces which hang low.” C. T. Loo’s 1941 sale

catalogue Exhibition of Chinese Arts also attempted to emphasize their femininity in the

description of their ornaments and body. “Two Marble Bodhisattvas. Two magnificently

carved figures with well chiselled serene faces, their headdress is high and corresponds to

the simple carving on the dress, their chests are bare and around the shoulder is a scarf

tied at the waist line and ornaments of long necklaces hang to the knees” (C. T. Loo and

Company 1941a, Cat. no. 942).

In contrast to the commercialized spectacle of women and art that Loo staged, the

painting collection contributed by the Chinese government to the International Exhibition

of Chinese Art in London during 1935-6 left very little room for the feminine. Out of 175

entries in the catalogue, only five featured female subjects. In contrast, there was a high

concentration of works of male subjects, including portraits of emperors, scholars, sages,

and deities, male-identified landscapes. 414 The scarcity of female subjects in this

exhibition suggested the Chinese government’s intention to defemininize China in

international politics. Facing Japanese invasion and internal turmoil in the 1930s, the

Chinese government was anxious to articulate China’s position as a masculine nation-

state in the international arena. In this aggressive public sphere of politics and war, the

413 New York Times, December 28, 1941.
414 Landscapes with scenes of gentlemen’s gatherings or visits.