Disk (bi) with dragons

Historical period(s)
Late Spring and Autumn period, Early Eastern Zhou dynasty, ca. 7th-6th century BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
Diam x D: 17 × 0.6 cm (6 11/16 × 1/4 in) Diam (hole): 6.9 cm (2 11/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1987.674
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Ceremonial object: disk (bi)

Keywords
China, dragon, Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 - 221 BCE), Spring and Autumn period (770 - 476 BCE)
Provenance

By 1949 to 1953
C. T. Loo, INC., New York, NY [1]

1953 to 1961
C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC. [2]

1962 to 1964
Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo Chinese Art [3]

1964 to 1987
Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from Frank Caro Chinese Art on August 27, 1964 in New York City [4]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [5]

Notes:

[1] Object published in C. T. Loo, INC. Chinese Archaic Jades, arranged for Norton Gallery of Art exh. cat. (Norton Gallery of Art, January 20 to March 1, 1950), plate XXXII, no.4.

[2] [2] 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. Caro assigned new inventory numbers to C. T. Loo & Company’s stock, assigning numbers with an “E” prefix. This object was included in that inventory process (see note 3).

[3] 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 (the mode of acquisition is unknown). Frank Caro Chinese Art stock no. E 5792, “Jade Pi (Jade Cat. Pl: 32 #3), see invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art to Arthur M. Sackler, August 27, 1964, copy in object file. As of September 2019, corresponding stock card has not been located in the C. T. Loo & Frank Caro Archive at the Musée Guimet, Paris.

[4] See Frank Caro's invoice cited in note 3.

[5] 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)

Frank Caro 1904-1980
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler 1913-1987
C.T. Loo & Company 1914-1948

Published References
  • C.T. Loo & Company, (Introduction) Lindsay Hughes Cooper. An Exhibition of Archaic Chinese Jades. Exh. cat. New York. pl. 32, 2.
  • John Johnston, Chan Lai Pik. 5000 Years of Chinese Jade. Exh. cat. San Antonio, Texas, 2011. cat. 27, p. 62.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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