Object: Pendant with dragon heads and raised uniform curls S1987.675

Classification: Jewelry and Ornament

Historical period(s): Warring States period, Eastern Zhou dynasty, 475-221 BCE

Object Date: 475-221 BCE

Medium: Jade (nephrite)

Dimension(s): H x W x D: 2.4 x 8 x 0.6 cm (15/16 x 3 1/8 x 1/4 in)

Origin: China

Credit Line: Gift of Arthur M. Sackler

Collection: Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Accession Number: S1987.675

: 龍首和凸面規則谷紋佩
東周戰國時期（公元前475--221年）
中國
軟玉
高2.4、寬8、厚0.6釐米
亞瑟·M·賽克勒贈送
器物編號：S1987.675

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

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

Notes:

[1] Object published in 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. 44, no. 3.

[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 and 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 and 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 5714, “Yellowish jade pendants (Jade Cat. PL. #44 #3),” see invoice from Frank Caro Chinese Art to Arthur M. Sackler, August 27, 1964, copy in object file.

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

[5] 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, 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)

Curatorial Remarks

1. (Jeffrey Smith per Keith Wilson, July 1, 2008) "Jewelry" added as secondary classification.
2. (Susan Kitsoulis per Keith Wilson, June 23, 2010) Object Name changed from "Pendant: dragon" to "Jewelry." Title changed from "Pendant (huang 璜): dragon" to "Pendant (huang 璜) in the form of a dragon."
3. (Najiba Choudhury per Keith Wilson, November 24, 2021) "Warring States period" added to the Period Two field; date changed from "5th-4th century BCE" to "475-221 BCE"; Object Name changed from "Pendant: huang" to "Pendant"; Title changed from "Pendant (huang) in the form of a dragon" to "Pendant with dragon heads and raised uniform curls"; added Chinese caption; and added "dragon" and "Warring States period" keyword.
4. (Jeffrey Smith per Matthew Clarke, July 25, 2022) Medium changed from Jade to Jade (nephrite).

Published References

C.T. Loo & Company, (Introduction) Lindsay Hughes Cooper. An Exhibition of Archaic Chinese Jades. Exh. cat. New York. pl. 44, 3.

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