Page 43 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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organization was established in 1943 in New York to promote the exhibition, study, and

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publication of Chinese art.
In response to the changing environment, Loo formulated new strategies. The draining

supply of antiquities in China forced Loo to rely more on resources within the Euro-

American world. Loo frequently acquired objects from auctions or by exchanges in the

U.S. He was also active in brokerage. Loo began to release his old inventory and to

promote less known or less popular categories such as lacquer (China Institute in

America 1945). Aware of the rage for modern art in the U.S., Loo started to merchandise

the “modern” quality of ancient Chinese art objects, such as Song ceramics (C. T. Loo,

Inc 1947), Song murals (C. T. Loo, Inc 1949), and Ming and Qing paintings (Asia

Institute 1949). Noticing the changes in his clientele, Loo concentrated on smaller and

less expensive items for private collectors’ personal or home beautification. In this

decade, Loo continued organizing exhibitions or other philanthropic events for war relief

and the improvement of China-U.S. relations. Loo also played an active role in

organizations that promoted Chinese art and culture. He was responsible for art and

exhibition affairs in the China Institute in America, and served as the treasurer of the

Chinese Art Society of America.

The Communist party came to power in 1949, and the authority in Shanghai

confiscated a large and important collection from Loo’s Shanghai branch. He realized

that “dealing in Chinese antiques was at its end and that I would be deprived of all my

31 New York Times, October 16, 1944.