Page 235 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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into merchandises, archaeological and anthropological artifacts, emblems of beauty and

prestige, and tokens of history and nationalism. He constantly switched his identity

between being a Chinese, French, and American, and shifted his roles as merchant,

collector, connoisseur, publisher, exhibition organizer, and patron of art. In close contact

with the most important art dealers, collectors, museum professionals, and scholars over

the world, Loo was an active agent in the international network that shaped Chinese art in

America in the first half of the twentieth century. In his dealing, different roles, forces,

and concepts were employed as fluid and complementary categories to increase the value

of an object and to broaden the base of collectors and scholars of Chinese art in America.

On the other hand, Loo’s dealing catered to America’s imperialist and capitalist

ideologies. Though he often presented Chinese art as a timeless and universal concept in

America, Chinese art was defined by the socio-political, economic, and cultural

boundaries. Chinese art objects were collected to articulate America’s imperialist power

in the international arena, to express its anti-modern sentiment, to increase the prestige of

American museums and collectors, and to beautify the homes of the urban burgeoisie.

Loo’s operations were based on the logic that Chinese antiquities, which China was no

longer able to preserve and appreciate, were to be collected and consumed by and for the

rich and the powerful in modern America.

This dissertation, which delves into Loo’s career, holds broader theoretical and

practical implications for curators, scholars, cultural policymakers, and the general

public. The kaleidoscopic and dynamic nature of his world requires us to look beyond

institutional, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries to create a new ground for the study of