Page 88 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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difficult to determine who should take responsibility. The Lohan incident that involved

the MFA, C.T Loo & Co. and Yamanaka & Co. illustrates the delicate relationship

between dealers (Fig. 28). After an investigation of a Lohan statue (MFA15.255) by

cutting into the joint between head and neck, the MFA curator J.E. Lodge found that the

head and body might not have been done at one time or by one artist (Fig. 7). 166 He called

D. J. R. Ushikubo, manager of the New York House of Yamanaka, from whom the

museum acquired the statue. In order to prove that Yamanaka & Co. had nothing to do

with any suspicious operation, Ushikubo wrote to Lodge to show that the statue was from

C. T. Loo’s shop in Paris, “I enclose herewithin a letter from Loo & Cie, Paris, from

which you will kindly understand that the figure was shipped to us direct from Paris.” 167

The museum could take advantage of the rivalry between dealers. The MFA curator

Lodge urged Loo to quote the price for two stone reliefs, hinting at the potential

competition from other dealers. Lodge wrote, “…under the circumstances, I think it is,

perhaps, reasonable to tell you that the Museum, although genuinely interested in your

sculptures, has become interested also in some Chinese wooden sculptures which arrived

in New York before we were notified of the receipt of yours…They seem to be important

objects and their presence in the market simultaneously with yours presents an

166
Lodge wrote, “…the head is made of a red clay, entirely different from the mixture of
white and red clay of which the body appears to be formed, indicating that the head and
body may not be contemporary.” (J.E. Lodge to the Director, March 27, 1916, folder and
box unidentified, AAOA-MFA)
167 Mr. Ushikubo also informed Lodge that he had purchased the original stand for
$1,000. (D. J. R. Ushikubo to J.E. Lodge, March 29, 1916, MFA, folder and box
identified, AAOA-MFA) In November 1916, the stand was offered as a gift to the
museum. Lodge accepted the gift from Yamanaka and returned the stand to C. T. Loo.
For the detail of the provenance report of the Lohan, see p.112, note 245.