By 1909, the museum's collection of Chinese art had become increasingly specialized. William James Calhoun (1848-1916), the U.S. ambassador to China, was a Chicago lawyer and the ambassador's wife, Lucy Monroe Calhoun (1865-1950), was an art critic for the Chicago newspaper.
Lucy Calhoun
Lucy is also an incisive photojournalist who lives in the embassy district of Beijing, using the camera in her hand to faithfully record the world around her. She was so social, teaching Western dance to Chinese officials and organizing banquets for charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), a prominent collector of Eastern art.
Charles Lang Friar
Lucy collected a batch of textiles from Chinese merchants who supplied the embassy, which belonged to the Manchu nobles who had fallen into the family road, which was especially important for the museum. Despite limited purchase funds, between 1912 and 1913 Lucy collected some exquisite textiles from the 17th and 18th centuries and transported them to the museum. Among them were many royal tributes, including a blue dragon silk court dress and a 1763 YongLan Tu, the poem on which is said to be inscribed by Qianlong.
Wing Lan Tu 1763 AD Vertical Axis 83. 1×46.4 cm from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
Lucy's subsequent donations include Buddhist robes and Taoist robes, as well as a 1911 painting passed down as the Emperor's Imperial Pen with flowers painted on it as a royal gift from Empress Longyu.
Buddhist Vestments (Fragments) 1650-1700 AD 128.3×225.8 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Daopao 1801~1850 A.D.143.5×189.5 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
Peony Figure, 1911 A.D., 131x52.1 cm, Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
This article is taken from the 23rd issue of "Meicheng Zaijiu"
Author Elinor Pearlstein is a researcher at the Art Institute of Chicago
Translator: Qin Lingyu
Calhoun Donated Selection
Pottery dwarf statue from the Tang Dynasty Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
Blue glazed bowl Ming Dynasty Height 9.9 cm; diameter 8.4 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Yellow-green glazed ridge beast Qing Dynasty 26.8×22.1× 10.8 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Green glazed jade pot spring bottle Qing Dynasty Height 20.0 cm; diameter 11.5 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
Red glazed long-necked bottle Qing Dynasty Height 19.8 cm; diameter 10.1 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
Blue-glazed multi-ribbed bowl Qing Dynasty Height 10.8 cm; diameter 39.4 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago
Fabrics 1800~1850 A.D., 25.8×19.4 cm, Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1800~1850 A.D., 26.7×19.7 cm, Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Textiles 1800~1850 25.8× 19.3 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1650~1700 A.D., 239.2×171.5 cm, Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Drapery fabrics 1800~1850 139.7× 136.8 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Drapery Fabrics 1875~1900 32× 136.2 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Drapery Fabric 1799 A.D. 113.4×126 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 88.2×23.2 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 88.2×23.2 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 94.9×26.8 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 92.7×26.8 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 95.6×26.7 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 93× 26.7 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 103.8×26.7 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Fabrics 1875~1900 83.6 × 26.7 cm Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA