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Chinese & Japanese Export Silver
Chinese & Japanese Export Silver
Occasionally items of silver that appear to be of Chinese manufacture are incorrectly ascribed to mainland China. Chinese communities across Southeast Asia had
silversmiths and silver-smithing guilds. They tended to make items for the local community. Sometimes these items are identifiably Southeast Asian in form but with
obviously Chinese motifs. Other times, the form and motifs are similar to pieces made in Shanghai and southern China. This has lead to confusion whereby extant
examples of Chinese silver by a maker who is "otherwise unknown" being described as being from Canton or Hong Kong.
Sometimes items bearing the Chinese mark of 'Da Xing' turns up. The literature in the field of Chinese export silver talks of this maker as"Unknown" and known only by one
or two pieces. In fact, Da Xing was 19th century maker with branches in Singapore and elsewhere in Southeast Asia and largely serviced the local peranakan Chinese
communities.
Many pieces of overtly Chinese silver that are of exceptional quality were produced in Bangkok by Thai-Chinese silversmiths. To complicate matters several Bangkok firms
called themselves names like 'the Shanghai silver company' or simply 'Shanghai silver' for it was felt that Shanghai as a brand stood for quality. But today, collectors and
some authors correctly read the Chinese ideograms stamped on such pieces but then erroneously assume that the pieces must have been made in Shanghai.
The catalogue The Chait Collection of Chinese Silver (J.D. Kernan, 1985) which has become one of the main sources in the relevant literature on Chinese export silver
includes a silver tray on page 66 which is attributed to 'Hui Yuan'. The catalogue describes Hui Yuan's location as unknown but presumably in China and describes the
piece as a 'bottle stand'. It is in fact a tray made by Thai Chinese silversmiths almost certain in Bangkok and is a tray used for offerings and as a rest for a matching silver
bowl.
Similarly silver produced in Vietnam by local Chinese silversmiths sometimes turns up as Chinese export silver. And silversmiths in India took to copying the Chinese style -
partly because India was an important destination for Chinese export silver - so that sometimes Indian silver is confused with Chinese.
silversmiths and silver-smithing guilds. They tended to make items for the local community. Sometimes these items are identifiably Southeast Asian in form but with
obviously Chinese motifs. Other times, the form and motifs are similar to pieces made in Shanghai and southern China. This has lead to confusion whereby extant
examples of Chinese silver by a maker who is "otherwise unknown" being described as being from Canton or Hong Kong.
Sometimes items bearing the Chinese mark of 'Da Xing' turns up. The literature in the field of Chinese export silver talks of this maker as"Unknown" and known only by one
or two pieces. In fact, Da Xing was 19th century maker with branches in Singapore and elsewhere in Southeast Asia and largely serviced the local peranakan Chinese
communities.
Many pieces of overtly Chinese silver that are of exceptional quality were produced in Bangkok by Thai-Chinese silversmiths. To complicate matters several Bangkok firms
called themselves names like 'the Shanghai silver company' or simply 'Shanghai silver' for it was felt that Shanghai as a brand stood for quality. But today, collectors and
some authors correctly read the Chinese ideograms stamped on such pieces but then erroneously assume that the pieces must have been made in Shanghai.
The catalogue The Chait Collection of Chinese Silver (J.D. Kernan, 1985) which has become one of the main sources in the relevant literature on Chinese export silver
includes a silver tray on page 66 which is attributed to 'Hui Yuan'. The catalogue describes Hui Yuan's location as unknown but presumably in China and describes the
piece as a 'bottle stand'. It is in fact a tray made by Thai Chinese silversmiths almost certain in Bangkok and is a tray used for offerings and as a rest for a matching silver
bowl.
Similarly silver produced in Vietnam by local Chinese silversmiths sometimes turns up as Chinese export silver. And silversmiths in India took to copying the Chinese style -
partly because India was an important destination for Chinese export silver - so that sometimes Indian silver is confused with Chinese.
Other Chinese Silver
| Also see Other Chinese Art & Straits Chinese Antiques |
Sino-Tibetan or Sino-Mongolian Silver Covered Kalasha Vase
China or Tibet
19th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 35
More images & information
China or Tibet
19th century or earlier
Inventory no.: 35
More images & information
- Or click here to see all the items in the Michael Backman Ltd catalogue - |
| These Items are available - Ask about an item |
Unusual Silver Goblet by Wang Hing
Guangdong/Hong Kong, China
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1136
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Guangdong/Hong Kong, China
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1136
More images & information
Chased Silver Rosewater Sprinkler for the Indian Market
China
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1156
More images & information
China
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1156
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Open-work Silver Dish with Bamboo-Design Handle
China
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1157
More images & information
China
circa 1900
Inventory no.: 1157
More images & information
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From where do we source our items? We do not go on buying trips to Asia. Nor do we actively buy from dealers or suppliers based in Asia. We do not source items
from India itself for example. Almost all the items stocked by Michael Backman Ltd have been sourced from the UK - from old collections. Countless items were brought to
the UK during the colonial era by colonial administrators and the like. Other items were made in Asia for export to the UK – the UK was wealthy early: it has been a major
destination for the world’s exports for hundreds of years. This means that most of our items have been in the UK for at least sixty to two hundred years.
The conditions in which they have been kept often has been very good – the climate is kind, and there are relatively few pests. Many items were acquired as keepsakes
and curios, meaning that they stopped being used once they came to the UK. This too has helped to preserve them and their conditions often are far better than had they
remained in their home countries. Buying from old UK sources means that the items have good provenance; it helps to avoid fakes, and items that have been amended or
embellished. It also means that our items are obtained legally – today, most countries in Asia prohibit the export of their antiques. So, because of its colonial past, the UK is
perhaps the world’s biggest source of genuine antiques from Asia, perhaps more so than Asia itself, and that is the source into which we tap.
All the items on this page are available for sale. We are based in central London, but sell to clients around the world. Want to enquire about an item on this page?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From where do we source our items? We do not go on buying trips to Asia. Nor do we actively buy from dealers or suppliers based in Asia. We do not source items
from India itself for example. Almost all the items stocked by Michael Backman Ltd have been sourced from the UK - from old collections. Countless items were brought to
the UK during the colonial era by colonial administrators and the like. Other items were made in Asia for export to the UK – the UK was wealthy early: it has been a major
destination for the world’s exports for hundreds of years. This means that most of our items have been in the UK for at least sixty to two hundred years.
The conditions in which they have been kept often has been very good – the climate is kind, and there are relatively few pests. Many items were acquired as keepsakes
and curios, meaning that they stopped being used once they came to the UK. This too has helped to preserve them and their conditions often are far better than had they
remained in their home countries. Buying from old UK sources means that the items have good provenance; it helps to avoid fakes, and items that have been amended or
embellished. It also means that our items are obtained legally – today, most countries in Asia prohibit the export of their antiques. So, because of its colonial past, the UK is
perhaps the world’s biggest source of genuine antiques from Asia, perhaps more so than Asia itself, and that is the source into which we tap.
All the items on this page are available for sale. We are based in central London, but sell to clients around the world. Want to enquire about an item on this page?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Enamel & Silver Tea Service Sealed Musashiya and Signed Masazane
Japan, Meiji Period
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1775 RESERVED
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Japan, Meiji Period
late 19th century
Inventory no.: 1775 RESERVED
More images & information
Unusually Large Carved Mother-of-Pearl Snuff Box Depicting Napoleon's Tomb with Silver Mounts
Canton, China
circa 1820
Inventory no.: 1813
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Canton, China
circa 1820
Inventory no.: 1813
More images & information
Silver Grooming Set
Southern China or Vietnam
19th century
Inventory no.: 1830
More images & information
Southern China or Vietnam
19th century
Inventory no.: 1830
More images & information
Three-piece Silver Tea Set by Cumshing
Guangdong, China
circa 1870
Inventory no.: 2009
More images & information
Guangdong, China
circa 1870
Inventory no.: 2009
More images & information
