Incense Burner
date: label: Date
content: 7th-8th century
label: Period
content: Tang dynasty
notes: label: Provenance
content: As early as 1929 to 1950
label: Provenance
content: C. T. Loo & Company, Paris, France and New York, NY [1]
label: Provenance
content: 1950 to 1953
label: Provenance
content: C. T. Loo INC., New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo & Company [2]
label: Provenance
content: 1953 to 1961
label: Provenance
content: C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC. [3]
label: Provenance
content: 1961 to 1966
label: Provenance
content: C. T. Loo & Cie, Paris, France by transfer from C. T. Loo Chinese Art [4]
label: Provenance
content: 1966 to 1967
label: Provenance
content: J. T. Tai & Company, New York, NY purchased from C. T. Loo & Cie, Paris France in New York on June 20, 1966 [5]
label: Provenance
content: From 1968 to 1987
label: Provenance
content: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from T. J. Tai on December 31, 1968 in New York, NY [6]
label: Provenance
content: From 1987
label: Provenance
content: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [7]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Provenance
content: 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.
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Provenance
content: [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.”
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Provenance
content: J. T. Tai & Company stock record A 418 reports that the sale was not finalized until December 31, 1968, copy in accession file.
label: Provenance
content: [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.
label: Collection
content: Arthur M. Sackler Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)
label: Exhibition History
content: Monsters, Myths and Minerals (September 28, 1987 to November 26, 1995)
label: Exhibition History
content: Treasures from the Smithsonian Institution at the Royal Scottish Museum (August 11, 1984 to November 5, 1984)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, China House Gallery, 1948 (1948)
label: Exhibition History
content: Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst (January 12 to April 2, 1929)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: C. T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: C. T. Loo, INC. (ca. 1948-no later than July 1953)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: C. T. Loo Chinese Art (1953-1961)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: C. T. Loo & Cie, Art Ancien de Chine (ca. 1950-2011)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: J. T. Tai & Co. (established in 1950)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)
place: label: Origin
content: China
topic: label: Topic
content: casting
label: Topic
content: gilding
label: Topic
content: metal
label: Topic
content: bronze
label: Topic
content: Tang dynasty (618 - 907)
label: Topic
content: incense
label: Topic
content: China
label: Topic
content: Chinese Art
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: S1987.15
objectType: label: Type
content: Vessel
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Gilded bronze
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 13.3 x 27.2 x 25.8 cm (5 1/4 x 10 11/16 x 10 3/16 in)