Vessel

Object Details

• Provenance

  By 1948

  J. T. Tai (1911–1992), Shanghai, China then Hong Kong, China, and then New York, NY [1]

  1948

  Lu Wu Antiquities Company, Shanghai and Beijing, China purchased the object from J. T. Tai in Shanghai, China [2]

  1948

  C. T. Loo & Company, Paris, France and New York, NY purchased from Tai through Lu Wu Antiquities in Shanghai, China [3]

  1949 to 1953

  C. T. Loo, INC., New York, NY acquired by transfer from C. T. Loo & Company, New York [4]

  1953 to 1961

  C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC. during summer of 1953 [5]

  1961 to 1997

  Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997), Summit, NJ purchased from C. T. Loo & Company in February 1961 in New York, NY [6]

  1997 to 1999

  In the custody of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, upon Paul Singer’s death in January 1997 and a loan agreement between the Executors of the Singer Estate and the Gallery in February 1997 [7]

  From 1999

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler [8]

  Notes:

  [1] Jun Tsei Tai (more commonly known in the West as J. T. Tai), known also as Dai Fubao in Shanghai, was a successful art dealer who was initially based in Shanghai China. Tai became one of C. T. Loo's most prolific suppliers in the 1940s. In 1949, however, J. T. Tai fled with his family to Hong Kong, when Communist leaders came into power. In 1950, he immigrated to New York City, where he established J. T. Tai & Company, a successful company that specialized in the sale of Chinese arts.

  See C. T. Loo & Company stock card 6033 E5835: “Jade stone implement in the shape of deep receptacle, in double lozenge with par walls. Six holes underfoot as to take legs, buff greenish jade. Height; 4ins, Lt: 16 ins,” see object file. J. T. Tai described as source: “from J. T. Tai China Feb. 48.”

  [2] Luwu was an export business that supplied C. T. Loo & Company, New York and Paris with Chinese. Loo formed this company in 1926. The name, Luwu combines the names of C. T. Loo and Wu Qi Zhou, Luwu’s primary associates. The business aquired objects from across China, but everything passed through Shanghai before being sent to France. Zhou and Laio would send all acquisitions to Shanghai, where Wu packaged and shipped them to France. J. T. Tai (see note 1) began working with Luwu around 1938. Tai operated Fuyun zhai guwandian, a shop with a large inventory in Shanghai.

  [3] See note 1. C. T. Loo, of C. T. Loo & Company, purchased this object from J. T. Tai in February 1948 and added to the stock of C. T. Loo & Company, New York.

  [4] In 1950, C. T. Loo announced his retirement from C. T. Loo & Company, New York and Paris. Between 1950 and the summer of 1953, he continued to do business, however, he did so under the name C. T. Loo, INC. and organized exhibitions of his company’s stock using this new business name. C. T. Loo’s daughter, Janie Emanuel Loo operated the Paris branch of C. T. Loo & Company as C. T. Loo & Cie., Arts d’Asie.

  C. T. Loo, INC. was dissolved by the summer of 1953.

  [5] 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.

  [6] Paul Singer purchased the object in February of 1961 and finished paying for it on May 8, 1961. See stockcard referenced in note 1.

  The collection of Chinese art and antiquities assembled by Paul Singer was purchased by him on behalf of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, Jillian Sackler, the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities and later was transferred to the children of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler.

  [7] The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art came into the custody of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, upon Paul Singer’s death in January 1997 and a loan agreement between the Executors of the Singer Estate and the Gallery in February 1997.

  [8] See “The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art Gift Agreement,” March 1999, Collections Management Office. This object was formally accessioned into the museum collection in 2012.

• Collection

  Arthur M. Sackler Collection

• Exhibition History

  Relics of Ancient China from the Collection of Dr. Paul Singer (1965)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Jun Tsei Tai 戴潤齋 (1911-1992)

  Lu Wu Antiques Co. 盧吳古玩公司 (1911-ca. 1949)

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

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

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

  Dr. Paul Singer (1904-1997)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; a joint gift of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, Paul Singer, the AMS Foundation for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, and the Children of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  BCE 0s

• Name

  Singer, Paul, Lu Wu Antiques Co., C.T. Loo Chinese Art, Tai, Jun Tsei, C.T. Loo, INC., C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, The Dr. Paul Singer Collection of Chinese Art of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Chinese Art, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE - 9 CE), Jade

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)