Object: Finial in the form of a bird S1987.669

Classification: Jewelry and Ornament

Historical period(s): Forgery in the style of the late Shang dynasty or Western Zhou dynasty, 20th century

Object Date: 20th century

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 8.6 x 4.1 x 0.4 cm (3 3/8 x 1 5/8 x 3/16 in)

Origin: China

Credit Line: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Accession Number: S1987.669

: 鳥形飾
20世紀仿晚商安陽或西周（公元前1100-1000年）風格
中國
軟玉
高8.6、寬4.1、厚0.4釐米
亞瑟·M·賽克勒贈送
器物編號: S1987.669

Provenance: 1946 to 1948
C. T. Loo & Company, New York, NY acquired in November 1946 [1]

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

1953 to 1961
C. T. Loo Chinese Art, New York, NY by transfer from C. T. Loo, INC., NY [3]

1961 to 1964
Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, NY from C. T. Loo Chinese Art, mode of acquisition unknown [4]

1964 to 1987
Arthur M. Sackler, New York, purchased from Frank Caro on August 27, 1964 [5]

From 1987
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler on September 11, 1987 [6]

Notes:

[1] See invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art, New York, no. E 5724, “Jade bird, greenish, Early Chou.” This object’s inventory number was assigned by Frank Caro, who took over leadership of C. T. Loo & Company (see note 2) and operated as Frank Caro Chinese Art. He re-inventoried stock around 1952 and assigned new numbers, many of which began with “E.” While no stock card for this object has been located in the Frank Caro Archives of the Musée Guimet, stock cards for objects E 5723 and E 5726 have been located. According to those stock cards, C. T. Loo & Company, acquired those objects in November 1946; it is likely, this object, E 5724 was acquired at the same time. Copies of these stock cards in object file.

[2] In 1948, when he lost direct access to trade in mainland China, C. T. Loo opened C. T. Loo, INC. 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. When Caro assumed leadership, he re-inventoried stock (see note 1).

[3] See note 2.

[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’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, but the mode of acquisition is unknown. See Frank Caro Chinese Art Invoice to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, August 27, 1964 no. E 5724, copy in object file.

[5] see invoice cited in note 4.

[6] 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.

Previous owner(s): C.T. Loo & Company (1914-1948)
C.T. Loo, INC. (ca. 1948-no later than July 1953)
C.T. Loo Chinese Art (1953-1961)
Frank Caro Chinese Art (1962-1980)
Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)

Description: Pendant, curved, profile bird forms in low relief; pierced area near one end; translucent green with brown clouds. (Clouds of calcification; broken and re-polished one end [?]; chip.)

Curatorial Remarks

1. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 1, 2008) Jewelry added as secondary classification.

2. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 15, 2010) Title changed from "Pendant (pei 珮): Bird" to "Pendant in the form of a bird"; Object name from "Pendant: bird" to "Jewelry."

3. (Jeffrey Smith per Janet Douglas, June 17, 2010) Nephrite added as modifier to existing medium of "jade" based on conservation analysis.
4. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, January 31, 2020) Title changed from "Pendant (pei) in the form of a bird" to "Finial in the form of a bird"; Period One changed from "Western Zhou dynasty" to "Forgery in the style of the late Shang dynasty, Anyang period or Western Zhou dynasty"; Date changed from "ca. 1000-900 BCE" to "20th century"; Object name changed from "Pendant" to "Jewelry"; added Chinese Caption by Jingmin Zhang.
Added the following to Description field, "Pendant, curved, profile bird forms in low relief; pierced area near one end; translucent green with brown clouds. (Clouds of calcification; broken and re-polished one end [?]; chip.)"

Published References

J. Keith Wilson, Jingmin Zhang. Jades for Life and Death. .

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Finial in the form of a bird

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