ANTIQUE 19thC CHINESE EXPORT SOLID SILVER TEA SET, WOSHING, SHANGHAI c.1890
19th Century Chinese Export Silver three piece tea set, comprising of a teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug, each pear shaped body is beautifully chased with grazing cranes exotic birds in flight amongst bamboo on a matted surface, each piece rests on a decorative bamboo leave foot and is applied with an intricately modeled bamboo handles and finial, simply outstanding quality. Teapot and sugar bowl with vacant shield cartooches.
Hallmarked with Chinese export marks, Artisan mark in Chinese and Retailer WS for Woshing.
Reference Number: A6630
DESCRIPTION
Antique 19th Century Chinese Export Solid Silver three piece tea set, comprising of a teapot, sugar bowl, milk jug, each pear shaped body is beautifully chased with grazing cranes exotic birds in flight amongst bamboo on a matted surface, each piece rests on a decorative bamboo leave foot and is applied with an intricately modeled bamboo handles and finial, simply outstanding quality. Teapot and sugar bowl with vacant shield cartooches.
Hallmarked with Chinese export marks, Artisan mark in Chinese and Retailer WS for Woshing (Active c. 1850s - 1925) an important manufacturing and retailing silversmith in Shanghai and Canton. Common mistakes in the transliteration of Chinese silver marks in English caused several names for Woshing, such as Wo Shing, Woo Shing and Wah Shing. Also marked with later Swedish import mark (three crowns), 830 silver standard.
Woshing silver is excellently crafted and was made in most of the patterns popular in the export market, such as bamboo, dragons, cranes, floral motifs. Apart from high-quality silverware, the firm was also famous for retailing luxury items in carved ivory, jade, gold and specialised in trophies and celebration silver.
Alongside with traditionally decorated silver tableware and flatware, of particular interest were pieces with creative and unconventional decors and forms. Bowls, tazzas, boxes in the modified Neo-classical manner were intricately crafted with realistically modelled birds, frogs and other animals in high relief. Such Woshing works are considered to be one of the most unusual among the Chinese export silver.
Although the full list of artisans working for the firm is impossible to make, it is well known that numerous Woshing silver pieces with outstanding enamels were created in cooperation with the respected silversmith Huang Qiu Ji.
According to the scholar Adrien Von Ferscht, the firm was on top four of the most notable Chinese retail silversmiths in the 19th century alongside Wang Hing, Poh Hing and Chong Woo.
CONDITION
In Great Condition - No Damage.
SIZE
TEAPOT
Height: 18cm
Width: 22 x 13cm
Weight: 545g
SUGAR BOWL
Height: 12cm
Width: 15 x 11cm
Weight: 240g
CREAM JUG
Height: 14cm
Width: 12 x 9cm
Weight: 200g