Welcome to CARP

CARP is a compilation of sources for provenance research of Chinese works of art, for use by institutions and researchers. Using The Burrell Collection in Glasgow as a pilot, the project documents records relating to dealers and collectors who specialised in Chinese art during the first half of the twentieth century.

The Burrell Collection can be seen as a paradigm for the collecting of Chinese art during the early twentieth century. Not only is the Collection representative of the collecting pattern of western collectors of the period but there are full records of William Burrell's (1861-1958) purchases which can be traced back to previous owners and to a number of major dealers whose archives still exist and which are accessible. These include John Sparks, Frank Partridge and Bluett.

You can search the image database and read illustrated essays. When you find an image in which you are interested you can add it to your photo album, which you can access from every page of the site.

Click here to return to the History of Art website.