Finial in the form of a bird

Object Details

• Description

  Pendant, curved, profile bird forms in low relief; pierced area near one end; translucent green with brown clouds. (Clouds of calcification; broken and re-polished one end [?]; chip.)

• Provenance

  1946 to 1948

  C. T. Loo & Company, New York, NY acquired in November 1946 [1]

  1948 to 1953

  C. T. Loo, INC., New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo & Company, NY [2]

  1953 to 1961

  C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC., NY [3]

  1961 to 1964

  Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY from C. T. Loo Chinese Art, mode of acquisition unknown [4]

  1964 to 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from Frank Caro on August 27, 1964 [5]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [6]

  Notes:

  [1] See invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, no. E 5724, “Jade bird, greenish, Early Chou.” This object’s inventory number was assigned by Frank Caro, who took over leadership of C. T. Loo & Company (see note 2) and operated as Frank Caro Chinese Art. He re-inventoried stock around 1952 and assigned new numbers, many of which began with “E.” While no stock card for this object has been located in the Frank Caro Archives of the Musée Guimet, stock cards for objects E 5723 and E 5726 have been located. According to those stock cards, C. T. Loo & Company, acquired those objects in November 1946; it is likely, this object, E 5724 was acquired at the same time. Copies of these stock cards in object file.

  [2] In 1948, when he lost direct access to trade in mainland China, C. T. Loo opened C. T. Loo, INC. On September 1, 1952, C. T. Loo’s associate, Frank Caro (1904-1980) took over daily operations of the New York business. C. T. Loo, INC. was dissolved by the summer of 1953 and Caro operated 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. When Caro assumed leadership, he re-inventoried stock (see note 1).

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] In 1961, Loo and Caro’s agreement ended. C. T. Loo & 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, but the mode of acquisition is unknown. See Frank Caro Chinese Art Invoice to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, August 27, 1964 no. E 5724, copy in object file.

  [5] see invoice cited in note 4.

  [6] 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

• Previous custodian or owner

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

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

  C.T. Loo Chinese Art (1953-1961)

  Frank Caro Chinese Art (1962-1980)

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Jewelry and Ornament

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1980s

• Name

  Frank Caro Chinese Art, Sackler, Arthur M., C.T. Loo Chinese Art, C.T. Loo, INC., C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE), Art, Animals, Carving, Chinese Art, Anyang period, Late Shang dynasty (ca. 1300 - 1050 BCE), Nephrite, Birds, Forgery, Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry