Oblong pendant with incised linked curls, one of a pair

Object Details

• Provenance

  1928–1932

  Purportedly discovered in tomb located 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]

  Possibly around 1954 to 1961

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

  Possibly from 1961 to 1964

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

  Possibly from around 1954 to 1960s

  J. T. Tai and Company, New York, NY, possibly purchased from Zhang Mei Chien in New York, NY [6]

  At least by 1986 to 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY, purchased from either C. T. Loo and Company or J. T. Tai and Company during the mid 1960s in New York, NY [7]

  From 1987

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 1, 1987 [8]

  Notes:

  [1] Discovery site noted as Chin ts’un (now known as Jincun), see Archaic Chinese Jades: Special Exhibition February 1940 (Philadelphia: The University Museum, 1940), cat. 116. Several tombs near Chin ts’un (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). The mate to the present pendant was not acquired by the museum.

  [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 of 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 on 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 [Zhang] Collection.”

  [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 both C. T. Loo and Company and J. T. Tai and Company. She sold to J. T. Tai and

  Company in July 1954 (for example, see J. T. Tai and Company Stock Record YT 886 and YT 895, copies in COM provenance files). It is unclear when C. T. Loo Chinese Art purchased items from Zhang Mei Chien. C. T. Loo Chinese Art was led by Frank Caro, the famed dealer C. T. Loo’s associate.

  [4] On September 1, 1952, C. T. Loo’s associate, Frank Caro (1904–1980) took over daily operations of the New York business, operating at 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] 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). Frank Caro acquired several ancient jades from C. T. Loo Chinese Art and sold them to Dr. Sackler in the 1960s (for example, see S1987.668 and S1987.644).

  [6] J. T. Tai and Company sold several jades from Zhang’s collection to Arthur M. Sackler (for example, see S1987.653 and S 1987.607). Several of J. T. Tai and Company stock records also document the company’s sales of Zhang jades to Arthur M. Sackler (for example, see J. T. Tai and Company Stock Record YT 886 and YT 895, copies in COM provenance files).

  [7] This object was part of Arthur M. Sackler’s original gift to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The date of his acquisition is unknown, but he purchased several ancient jades from C. T. Loo and Company and J. T. Tai and Company throughout the 1960s. Arthur M. Sackler’s accession number for this object was J

  1034, and it was included in the 1986 inventory of the collection.

  [8] 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.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  Archaic Chinese Jades, Special Exhibition (February 1940)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Zhang Naiji 張乃驥 (1899-1948)

  Zhang Mei Chien (1900-1998)

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

  Frank Caro Chinese Art (1962-1980)

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

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  Jincun, probably 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

  Frank Caro Chinese Art, Sackler, Arthur M., C.T. Loo Chinese Art, Zhang, Naiji, J. T. Tai & Co., Zhang, Chien Mei

• Place

  China, Jincun, Henan province

• Topic

  Art, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Carving, Chinese Art, Pendant, Nephrite, Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Ornaments, Jewelry