Ritual cauldron (li) with masks (taotie) and dragons

Object Details

• Provenance

  ?-1957

  C. T. Loo, INC., Paris, possibly by transfer from C. T. Loo & Cie., Paris [1]

  1957-1962

  C. T. Loo family, from C. T. Loo, INC., Paris, by inheritance [2]

  By 1962

  J. T. Tai & Co., New York, purchased from C. T. Loo family, Paris [3]

  1962

  Jen Chai Art Gallery, Inc., New York, by transfer from J. T. Tai & Co., New York [4]

  By 1965-1987

  Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), purchased from Jen Chai Art Gallery, through J. T. Tai & Co., New York [5]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Arthur M. Sackler [6]

  Notes:

  [1] See object file for copy of J. T. Tai & Co. stock record for “1 Bronze Ting, Chou Dynasty”, stock no. A-163, purchased from the Loo Family, Paris, October 17, 1962. C. T. Loo (1880-1957) was one of the most prominent and well-known figures in the world of Chinese art in the first half of the twentieth century. Loo owned and operated eponymous galleries in New York and Paris, where he offered Chinese, Indian, and South Asian antiquities for study and sale. C. T. Loo formed C. T. Loo, INC. in 1948, when he lost access to trade in mainland China. 

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See notes 1 and 4.

  J. T. Tai (1911-1992), was an incredibly important dealer in Chinese antiquities whose influence shaped American collections of Chinese art throughout the second half of the twentieth century. He began his career in China, and in early 1950 he emigrated to New York City with the help of C. T. Loo. Tai established himself as an independent dealer and opened a gallery on Madison Avenue by the autumn of 1950.

  [4] See object file for copy of Jen Chai Art Gallery, Inc., New York, a subsidiary of J. T. Tai & Co., New York, with the Loo Family recorded as the sellers. See also note 1, where “Reported to Jen Chai Jan/65” is written in the “Sales Record” portion of the stock record. See also note 1.

  [5] See object file for copy of J. T. Tai & Co., invoice for stock no. A-163 to Arthur M. Sackler, dated March 24, 1965. See also note 1, and note 4, where “Charged to J. T. Tai & Co., Inc., Jan. 1965” and “Jan. 30 /65 Park #2” is written in the Sales Record of the stock record form.

  [6] Pursuant to the agreement between Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987. Dr. Arthur M. Sackler was a physician, medical publisher, pharmaceutical marketer, and collector of Asian art. See also note 5.

  Research updated May 11, 2023

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  In Praise of Ancestors: Ritual Objects from China (September 28, 1987 to January 1, 1989)

• Previous custodian or owner

  C.T. Loo, INC. (ca. 1948-no later than July 1953)

  C. T. Loo 盧芹齋 (1880-1957)

  J. T. Tai & Co. (established in 1950)

  Jen Chai Art Gallery

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s, BCE 1000s

• Name

  Loo, C. T., Sackler, Arthur M., J. T. Tai & Co., Jen Chai Art Gallery, C.T. Loo, INC.

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Bronze, Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE), Art, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Masks, Dragon, Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)