Pendant in the form of a dragon

Historical period(s)
Western Zhou dynasty, ca. 1050-950 BCE
Medium
Jade (nephrite)
Dimensions
H x W x D (overall): 7.7 × 7.7 × 0.3 cm (3 1/16 × 3 1/16 × 1/8 in)
Geography
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
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S2012.9.1044
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Jewelry and Ornament
Type

Jewelry

Keywords
China, dragon, Paul Singer collection, Western Zhou dynasty (ca. 1050 - 771 BCE)
Provenance

1946 to 1948
C. T Loo & Company, New York, NY acquired in November 1946 from an unknown source [1]

1948 to 1953
C. T. Loo, INC., New York by transfer from C. T. Loo & Company, New York [2]

1953 to 1959
C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC., New York [3]

1959 to 1997
Dr. Paul Singer, Summit, NJ purchased from C. T. Loo Chinese Art on January 2, 1959 in New York, NY [4]

1997 to 1999
In the custody of Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, upon Paul Singer’s death in January 1997 and loan agreement between the Executors of the Singer Estate and the Gallery in February 1997 [5]

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 Arthur M. Sackler [6]

Notes:

[1] See C. T. Loo & Company stock card 30427: “Small jade dragon CHOW, small jade pendant dragon from Middle CHOW,” copy in accession file. “Nov. 1946” listed at top right of stock card. The stock number 30427 has been scratched out and replaced with E 5809. This inventory number was likely assigned by Frank Caro, Loo’s associate, when he assumed leadership of the company (see note 2).

[2] C. T. Loo (1880-1957) formed C. T. Loo, INC. in 1948, when his company, C. T. Loo & Company lost access to suppliers in China. The company closed by the summer of 1953, after Loo appointed his associate, Frank Caro as the manager and leader of the New York branch of C. T. Loo & Company. Caro assumed leadership in 1952 and in 1953 began operating as C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York and dissolved C. T. Loo, INC.

[3] See notes 1 and 2.

[4] The sale to Dr. Singer is documented on stock card referenced in note 1. The card reports: “1959 Jan. 2 to Dr. Singer.” The collection of Chinese art and antiquities assembled by Paul Singer was purchased by him on behalf of 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 Arthur M. Sackler.

[5] 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.

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

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Dr. Paul Singer 1904-1997
C.T. Loo & Company 1914-1948
C.T. Loo, INC. ca. 1948-no later than July 1953
C.T. Loo Chinese Art 1953-1961

Published References
  • J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .
  • C.T. Loo & Company, (Introduction) Lindsay Hughes Cooper. An Exhibition of Archaic Chinese Jades. Exh. cat. New York. Plate XXXII, no. 2.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Jades for Life and Death
Google Cultural Institute
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