Pendant in the form of a dragon, one of a pair

Object Details

• Provenance

  1928-1932

  Likely discovered in tomb located in in Henan province, Jincun, China [1]

  To 1948

  Zhang Naiji (1899–1948), Shanghai, China, then New York, NY [2]

  1948 to around 1954

  Zhang Mei Chien (1901–ca. 1955), New York, NY, inherited upon her husband’s death [3]

  Around 1954 to 1961

  C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York, NY, likely purchased from Zhang Mei Chien in New York, NY [4]

  1961 to 1964

  Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY, mode of acquisition unknown [5]

  1964 to 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY, purchased from Frank Caro Chinese Art on August 27, 1964, in New York, NY [6]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [7]

  Notes:

  [1] This object is one in a pendant set, once owned by Zhang Naiji (see note 2). The pendant’s mate, S1987.866, is noted as coming from Chin ts’un (now known as Jincun); see Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition(Philadelphia: The University Museum, February 1940), cat. 81. Several tombs near Jincun in western Henan were discovered in the summer of 1928 after heavy rain, when sinkholes began to emerge. Immediately upon discovery, the tombs were heavily scavenged by locals. Only two tombs were systematically excavated (see William Charles White, Tombs of Old Lo Yang: A Record of the Construction and Contents of a Group of Royal Tombs at Chin ts’un, Probably Dating to 550 B.C. [Shanghai: Kelly and Walsh Limited, 1934]; and William Charles White, “China’s Cultural Heritage” in Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada 37 [1943]: 151).

  [2] Zhang Naiji (also known as N. C. Chang) was a businessman, born to a prestigious family in Zhejiang that made their wealth in the silk and salt industries. He collected ancient Chinese art objects and Chinese coins. Zhang amassed his collection whilst living in Shanghai, before leaving for America in 1938, and acquired his objects onsite at archaeological excavations (see Alfred Salmony, Chinese Jade through the Wei Dynasty [New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1963], p. 115).

  Zhang lent his collection anonymously to Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition. We know his identity through letters housed in the Department of Archives, The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology

  and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (see letter from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, October 25, 1939, and letter from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, December 16, 1939, copies in Freer and Sackler COM provenance files). The exhibition was entirely organized by C. T. Loo and Company, New York. Letters exchanged between C. T. Loo and the director of The University Museum, Mr. Horace H. F. Jayne, reveal that Zhang Naiji owned the objects and C. T. Loo and Company had the collection on consignment (see letter from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, May 28, 1939, and letter from C. T. Loo to Horace Jayne, October 23, 1940, copies in COM provenance files). C. T. Loo and Company kept the jade collection on consignment from 1940 through Zhang’s death in 1948, inventorying the pieces

  with a prefix “J” and labeling each item as “Chang Collection.” This object was inventoried as J 14b (see invoice noted in note 5).

  [3] Zhang Mei Chien, Zhang Naiji’s wife, assumed ownership upon his death in 1948. She sold several pieces from her husband’s collection to J. T. Tai and Company in July 1954. It is unclear when Frank Caro, C. T. Loo’s associate and successor to C. T. Loo and Company, purchased items from Zhang Mei Chien.

  [4] C. T. Loo, of C. T. Loo and Company, displayed Zhang’s jade collection in the 1940 Philadelphia exhibition (see note 1). On September 1, 1952, C. T. Loo’s associate, Frank Caro (1904–1980), took over daily operations of the

  New York business, operating as C. T. Loo Chinese Art. Loo continued to play a large role in the business, as he and Caro struck a deal in which profits made on Loo’s stock would be evenly divided and Loo would maintain the lease and rental payments on the company’s gallery space.

  [5] See Frank Caro Chinese Art invoice addressed to Arthur M. Sackler, dated August 27, 1964, information provided by the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, October 9, 2009; copy located in object file and in Freer and Sackler COM

  provenance files. In 1961, Loo and Caro’s agreement ended. C. T. Loo and Cie., Paris, France, took control of C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York’s stock that C. T. Loo had added to the inventory before his death in 1957. Frank Caro

  then opened Frank Caro Chinese Art. Caro acquired pieces from Loo’s original stock (the mode of acquisition is unknown).

  [6] See note 5.

  [7] Pursuant to the agreement between Dr. 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.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  An Exhibition of Chinese Archaic Jades (January 20 to March 1, 1950)

  Archaic Chinese Jades, Special Exhibition (February 1940)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)

  C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)

  Frank Caro (1904-1980)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  Jincun, purportedly found at Henan province, China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., Zhang, Naiji, Caro, Frank, C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China, purportedly found at Henan province, Jincun

• Topic

  Art, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Carving, Chinese Art, Nephrite, Jade, Warring States period (475 - 221 BCE), Dragon

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry