Incense Burner

Object Details

• Provenance

  As early as 1929 to 1950

  C. T. Loo & Company, Paris, France and New York, NY [1]

  1950 to 1953

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

  1953 to 1961

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

  1961 to 1966

  C. T. Loo & Cie, Paris, France by transfer from C. T. Loo Chinese Art [4]

  1966 to 1967

  J. T. Tai & Company, New York, NY purchased from C. T. Loo & Cie, Paris France in New York on June 20, 1966 [5]

  From 1968 to 1987

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from T. J. Tai on December 31, 1968 in New York, NY [6]

  From 1987

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

  Notes:

  [1] Object is published in Osvald Siren, A History of Early Chinese Art, Volume II. London: E. Benn, Ltd., 1929, plate 133. C. T. Loo & Company is cited as the owner.

  [2] 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.

  [3] The object is published in The Arts of the T’ang Dynasty: A loan exhibition organized by the Los Angeles County Museum from Collections in America, The Orient and Europe, January 8 – February 17, 1952, cat. 110 (ill.). “Mr. Frank Caro, C. T. Loo, New York” is cited as the owner; the business’s formal name, however, was C. T. Loo Chinese Art.

  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.

  [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 stock, which C. T. Loo added to the inventory before his death in 1957. This object was part of that inventory.

  [5] See J. T. Tai & Company stock record “A 418: Gilt Bronze Incense Burner, T’ang Dyn,” copy located in accession file. The seller is recorded as “C. T. Loo & Cie.”

  [6] J. T. Tai & Company invoice addressed to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, dated 10/19/1967, copy located in the object file and in the FǀS COM provenance files.

  J. T. Tai & Company stock record A 418 reports that the sale was not finalized until December 31, 1968, copy in accession file.

  [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

  The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

  Monsters, Myths and Minerals (September 28, 1987 to November 26, 1995)

  Treasures from the Smithsonian Institution at the Royal Scottish Museum (August 11, 1984 to November 5, 1984)

  Untitled Exhibition, China House Gallery, 1948 (1948)

  Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst (January 12 to April 2, 1929)

• 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)

  C.T. Loo & Cie, Art Ancien de Chine (ca. 1950-2011)

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

  Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  800s, 600s

• Name

  Sackler, Arthur M., C.T. Loo Chinese Art, J. T. Tai & Co., C.T. Loo & Cie, Art Ancien de Chine, C.T. Loo, INC., C.T. Loo & Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Gilding, Bronze, Art, Sculpture, Chinese Art, Incense, Tang dynasty (618 - 907), Metal-work

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)