Page 93 - C.T. Loo A paper about his impact and activities in the Chinese art Market

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The arrangement between Loo and Winthrop not only expedited the transactions, but

also allowed Winthrop to buy a large number of high-value objects without immediate

cash/check payment. In 1936 Winthrop, for example, made a total deposit of $38,000 to

his account. In the same year he purchased from Loo a large group of objects with the

value of more than $61,000, which far exceeded the amount he deposited that year. The

regular deposit from Winthrop helped Loo finance his purchases of important objects

when they were available in the market. Loo, for example, assembled for Winthrop a

large collection of prominent jade objects excavated from Jincun, Henan, which was

bought by Loo’s agent. Loo stated, “ [In]1928-1929 came the discovery of the famous

Chin-ts’un tombs. Everything from Chin-ts’un was superb. At that time, Mr. G. L.

Winthrop became interested in collecting jades and, thanks to an expert buyer that we had

stationed in the village, we were able to secure nearly everything that came out from

those tombs, and most of them are now in the Winthrop collection at the Fogg Museum,

in Cambridge, Mass.” (Loo 1950, Preface) 184 Information in Winthrop’s account book

confirms Loo’s statement. During 1936 Winthrop acquired from Loo a large quantity of

outstanding Jincun jades, including his purchase made on February 26, 1936, the jade

185
dragon plaque (Sackler 1943.50. 468) (Fig. 29).

184 Jincun, an archaeological site in Henan. The collection that Loo referred to is housed
in the Sackler Museum, Harvard University.
185
“Jade dragon plaque with a bird head, carved on both sides, yellowish patina—On
edge are carved four characters indicating center [?] second. Tsui from Chin T’sun
$1,500”( G. L. Winthrop’s account book, purchases from C. T. Loo, HUAMA).