Pendant in the form of a dragon with raised uniform curls, one of a pair

Historical period(s)
Warring States period, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 475-221 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 5.7 x 12 x 0.4 cm (2 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 3/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.552
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Pendant

Keywords
China, dragon, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Warring States period (475 - 221 BCE)
Provenance

By 1941 to 1948
C. T. Loo and Company, New York, NY [1]

1948 at to at least 1950
C. T. Loo, INC., New York, NY, by transfer from C. T. Loo and Company, New York, NY [2]

By 1973 to 1987
Arthur M. Sackler, New York, NY [3]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [4]

Notes:

[1] C. T. Loo and Company featured the object in a 1941 sale; see C. T. Loo and Company, Exhibition of Chinese Arts, catalogue of a Special Sale (C. T. Loo and Company: New York, NY), November 1, 1941, to April 30, 1942, no. 259 (ill). C. T. Loo and Company continued to own this object in the early months of 1950, as the company featured it in an exhibition; see C. T. Loo, INC., An Exhibition of Chinese Archaic Jades: Arranged for the Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida (New York: C. T. Loo and Co., 1950), pl. 45, no. 4 or 6 (ill).

[2] See C. T. Loo, INC., An Exhibition of Chinese Archaic Jades: Arranged for the Norton Gallery of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida (New York: C. T. Loo and Co., 1950), pl. 41, no. 4 or 6. C. T. Loo formed C. T. Loo, INC., in 1948, when his company C. T. Loo and Company lost direct trade to China. 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.

[3] In 1973, Arthur M. Sackler loaned the object to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for The Arts of Ancient China, 1973 to 1978. See Arthur M. Sackler’s Collection notes, copy in object file.

[4] 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.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dr. Arthur M. Sackler 1913-1987
C.T. Loo & Company 1914-1948
C.T. Loo, INC. ca. 1948-no later than July 1953

Published References
  • Exhibition of Chinese Arts, Special Sale. Exh. cat. New York, 1941-1942. no. 259.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects