ANTIQUE 19thC CHINESE EXPORT LARGE SOLID SILVER BOWL, CUM WO c.1880
Antique late-19th Century Chinese export solid silver very large bowl, of exceptionally fine quality and impressive size, intricately chased and embossed depicting a compendium of various designs and themes, six shaped panels depicting a battle scene with a centered shield shaped vacant plaque, nobility sailing a river and inside boat house surrounded by grand buildings and trees, another depicting a village rural scene with a boy riding a water buffalo and loosing his hat to a gust of wind, the other three panels depicting flying dragons amongst clouds, birds perched on cherry blossom and dense bamboo forests with exotic birds in flight.
Hallmarked with Chinese Artisan character marks, (900+ silver), Retail mark CW (Cum Wo)
Reference Number: A6189
DESCRIPTION
Antique late-19th Century Chinese export solid silver very large bowl, of exceptionally fine quality and impressive size, intricately chased and embossed depicting a compendium of various designs and themes, six shaped panels depicting a battle scene with a centered shield shaped vacant plaque, nobility sailing a river and inside boat house surrounded by grand buildings and trees, another depicting a village rural scene with a boy riding a water buffalo and loosing his hat to a gust of wind, the other three panels depicting flying dragons amongst clouds, birds perched on cherry blossom and dense bamboo forests with exotic birds in flight.
The decoration is very crisp and detailed, the bowl demonstrates almost all the patterns and decorative techniques used in Chinese export silver, such as engraved stylized flowers, foliage, bamboo leaves, birds, animals and the most popular and sought after village scenes depicting nobility and warriors. The top rim applied with a shaped reeded band and bowl standing on a plain ring foot.
Hallmarked with Chinese Artisan character marks, (900+ silver standard), Retail mark CW (Cum Wo). Is one of the first Chinese Export silversmiths known active in Hong Kong since 1860. He had a shop in Queen’s Road, where many silversmiths were based, but the superb quality of his works and the attention to details made him stand out among the others.
As many silversmiths of the time, he didn’t deal just in silver, but also in ceramic, gold and ivory.
Cum Wo was one of the first to decorate high Victorian shapes with traditional Chinese motifs such as dragons and bamboo leaves creating dramatic and unusual effects.
In the early 20th Century he was a pioneer in producing cocktail shakers decorated with Chinese motifs, particularly prunus blossoms. He managed to keep up with the changing fashion and as scholar Adrien Von Ferscht highlighted, he ‘was one of the few silversmiths who knew when enough decoration was enough’ (see A. Von Ferscht, Chinese Export Silver 1785-1940, 4th edition 2015). In fact, especially in the early 20th Century Cum Wo mostly adopted plain and polished shapes finely decorated with Chinese motifs. The firm also created miniature tea sets and doll’s house furniture, which were very much in demand among the wealthy English families.
CONDITION
In Great Condition - No Damage.
SIZE
Height: 15.5cm
Width: 30.5cm
Weight: 1375g