These tall elegant silver candlesticks are decorated with chased oval lozenges of grecian goddesses on the bases and the tops – a perfect example of the genre

Having had fun putting together this quiz I thought I should put it up as a blog….

Question 1
How many marks would you expect to see on English silver hallmarked before 1890?

Question 2

How old is this tea set?

Question 3

Where is this from and how old is it?

Question 4

What is the symbolism behind this menu holder?

Question 5

What is extra special about this piece?

Find the answers in my other blogs https://esmeparishsilver.com/?s=blog

The typical shape is considered boat-like, hence the name. It often sits on a matching saucer, sometimes attached to the pitcher, to catch dripping sauce.

Sometimes in porcelain but many times in silver we find some really great pieces so useful with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner

This photo shows just some of the various silver sauce boats crafted over the years

Often in pairs we also find single pieces perfect for sauces.

Let’s start with an extra-large pair of very old sauce boats:

These sauce boats are almost 200 years old – by William Galloway they are hallmarked London 1824 and are 21cms from lip to handle and 10.5cms high and weigh 850 grams – big!

They are in the classic shape – standing on three cast feet with shell bases. The feet are attached to the body of the pieces with more shell motifs

The curly handle makes them easy to use.  The chasing on the body of the boats is typical of that period

These extra large sauce boats would have been needed at all those large house parties

Do sauce boats change?

Maybe not so much- these sauce boats date from nearly 100 years later:

You still see the three feet – this time ending in the shape of a horse’s hoof.  The curled handle that makes them easy to use is still there

Nothing like as big  –  19cms from handle to spout and weighing 682 grams.  Maybe dinner parties have got smaller …

What is different about these sauce boats is the whimsical chasing of birds, fruit and animals on the body of the pieces – very much in fashion in the late 19^th century

Just a few years later and we find a completely different version of sauce boats

Still boat like in shape but altogether more modern – reflecting the art deco period.  These sauce boats are by CS Harris and dated 1919

 They are 19cms long and 11cms wide and 9cms high and weigh 700 grams – and would fit into every contemporary home

This single sauce boat is pure Art Deco in its form – the clean straight lines of the 1930’s and 1940’s

This small sauce boat has the so elegant ring handle and the simple round foot

These sauce boats are a mere 50 years old , hand crafted by Roberts & Dore and hallmarked 1972

They are in the Celtic style https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_knot

But with these pieces we have the addition of Celtic dragons that form the handles and heads form the ends of the feet

So not every dragon is a Chinese one!

Occasionally we find a sauce boat in Chinese silver

This single sauce boat is by Cumshing and given the shape probably dates from the early 1900’s

Chrysanthemums have been repousse worked on the body and the handle is made to look like a chrysanthemum stem. Chrysanthemums bloom through the frost.

Chinese Export silver motifs and more… – Esme Parish Silver

Do get in touch if you would like to see any of these fine examples of sauce boats

Silver craftsmanship has been around in China for thousands of years but it wasn’t until the late 18^th century that the name Chinese Export Silver began to be used

It grew out of the Canton system of trade

https://brewminate.com/the-canton-trade-system-in-china-in-the-18th-and-19th-centuries/

The foreign merchants were corralled in the foreign settlement of Canton whilst they traded the silks and teas and spices for which the West had an insatiable urge.

The merchants from all the foreign trading nations came on the monsoon winds in the Spring, worked with their local Hong merchants to source all these luxuries and then left when the Monsoon winds could take them away – 

A captive audience for many months – not just for the luxury products but also for the essentials of life – tailors and cobblers and silversmiths were attracted to the foreign settlement to meet this demand

Here is the map of the foreign settlements – the silversmiths worked on the street just above where the American Factory is marked

So Chinese Export silver was born

The British merchants had a long tradition of using silver – the luxury requirement for the upper classes.  But it was expensive.  As well as being a precious metal, the British craftsmanship was expensive and even worse taxes had to be paid to the crown when the silver was assayed (hallmarks added to prove it was truly silver)  – see my blog for more details :

https://esmeparishsilver.com/blog/english-silver-marks/

These  first pieces of Chinese Export silver were made to look just like English silver.  Merchants would bring some sample pieces and ask for them  to be copied.  And that was exactly what the silversmiths would do – down to those funny little marks on the back

Here are some examples of these early Chinese Export silver marks – known as “pseudo marks”

 This one looks like a foo dog

This one the leopard is grinning from ear to ear

 As you can imagine many pieces have been miscatalogued over the years because of the similarity in these marks to the real thing – so once again this marks are all important!

Much of the early Chinese Export silver was flatware.  The merchant would bring a sample fork or spoon and get it copied for very little money.  Sadly a lot of this has been melted down over the years.  The Chinese craftsmen were paid by weight so the Chinese Export silver pieces were considerably heavier than their western counterparts

But as well as flatware the silversmiths also made some holloware – tea sets and bowls and presentation cups. 

This Chinese Export silver tea pot is by Khecheong c 18230 .  Weighing 1200 grams – weighing so much more than a similar pot made in Britain at that time – the silversmiths were paid by weight and then a small percentage for workmanship – make those things heavy!

https://esmeparishsilver.com/product/chinese/pseudo-hallmark-chinese-tea-pot/   

These Chinese Export silver salts are by Sunshing.  Dating from around 1830 – they even have a coat of arms engraved – the original owner really wanted to impress the neighbours as well as getting a bargain!   And again much heavier than usual

These early pieces of Chinese Export silver are really hard to find – right now I am thrilled to have one excellent example:

This Chinese Export silver bowl is by Khecheong and dates from around 1830.  It has the pseudo hallmarks and like all these early pieces is extremely heavy for its size – 780 grams

Check out on my website for more details:

https://esmeparishsilver.com/product/chinese/bowls-chinese/early-chinese-export-silver-bowl/

With the Opium Wars in the 1840’s trade with China opened up and was no longer confined to Canton. 

 Hong Kong and Shanghai became the main centres for Chinese Export silver.  The forms and designs changed and developed and Export silver became a very different art form – more on that later..

But these early Chinese Export silver pieces are very special, were never made in quantities and only a few pieces have survived so grab them when you can –

Are you looking for pieces to add to your Chinese Export Silver collection ?

I have been sourcing Chinese Export silver now for more than 30 years.  I have a gallery in Singapore where I have a huge range of sterling silver on display with many pieces of Chinese Export silver – collectibles that can be used.

 I also have a superb range of Chinese Export silver pieces as well as other antique and contemporary silver items in Hong Kong which are available for viewing at all times.   The pseudo hall marked bowl is in Hong Kong but can come to Singapore if anyone would like to see it in “person”!

Do get in touch if you would like to browse in either location. 

If you are looking for a special piece to add to your collection then do let us know

Browse more on https://esmeparishsilver.com

Make an appointment with me on esme@esmeparishsilver.com or by Whats App +65 91546662

Chinoiserie is a word borrowed from French and means a style in art reflecting Chinese qualities or motifs. 

It is the European interpretation and imitation of Chinese and other East Asian artistic traditions and  focuses on subjects that were thought by colonial-era Europeans to be typical of Chinese culture

In the17th and 18^th centuries Europeans had a fascination with Asia due to their increased, but still restricted, access to new cultures through expanded trade with East Asia, especially China. The limited number of European first-hand experiences of East Asia and their restricted circulation created some interesting interpretations of exactly what life in China was like.

As a style, chinoiserie is related to the Rococo style.  Both styles are characterized by exuberant decoration, asymmetry, a focus on materials, and stylized nature and subject matter that focuses on leisure and pleasure. Chinoiserie focuses on subjects that were thought by colonial-era Europeans to be typical of Chinese culture.

The influence of Chinoiserie was seen in paintings, ceramics, lacquer-ware, textiles

Interestingly it wasn’t until the early 19^th century that silver became one of the art forms that benefited from this western interpretation of things Chinese

Almost all the pieces of Chinoiserie silver we find are from the early 19^th century

Here we have a wonderful example of Chinoiserie silver.

This three piece teaset is by Henry Holland – a well respected silversmith.  The hallmarks show his makers mark and the marks for London 1824.

It is typical of the chonoiserie style – the exuberant decoration, the closely chased work on the round bodies but most of all it has to be the Chinese coolies that form the finial and the decoration on the handles.  Note the handle-bar moustaches on the faces of the figures on the handles – definitely a western interpretation!

This tea set would have been the height of fashion as it was made.

Look at this amazing Chinoiserie silver caddy dated 1853

Chinese tea in a Chinoiserie tea caddy!       

 Again you see with this creamer, by Napthali Hart dated 1821, the typical flamboyant Chinoiserie style. Note the western interpretation of a coolie.

This is a Chinoiserie silver bowl by Joseph Angell dated 1839 complete with the coat of arms of the original owner.

It wasn’t just grand pieces of silver that were given the Chinoiserie treatment:

  This Chinoiserie silver mustard pot dates from 1844

But as always beware

This fine tea pot is Chinoiserie silver courtesy of the final. The finial has the same makers mark and date as the tea pot

Sometimes coolie finials are added to non-Chinoiserie pieces – always check

I found this finial in a market -add this to a tea pot and up goes the price!

The opium wars of 1839–1842 between Britain and China disrupted trade and the whole new genre of Chinese Export silver was born

See my blog: Chinese Export silver marks – early quality control – Esme Parish Silver

 and there was less demand for the English silversmiths to make Chinese look-alike pieces.

If you want to see some of these Chinoiserie silver pieces then do contact me either via whats app – hit the button- or via email esme@esmeparishsilver.com

Chinese Export silver marks

British silver is hall marked with a coded system

See my blog:

English Silver Marks – Esme Parish Silver

And initially, interestingly, in the early years of Chinese Export silver a similar coding system was used by the Chinese silversmiths- it seemed to please the foreigners who were buying their silver so…

See my blog:

The Origins of Chinese Export Silver – In the Beginning.. – Esme Parish Silver

But as trade opened up with Britain and the other Western nations after the Opium Wars of the 1840’s

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Opium-Wars

the Chinese silversmiths found their own genre and their own way of marking

From the mid-19^th Century the Chinese silver marks began to form a pattern

There would be western mark – usually with the letters of the silver shop and then a Chinese mark which would be the mark of the silversmith who actually made the product

This is mark of the well-known silversmith, Wang Hing, who was known to have a shop in Queens Road, Hong Kong from the 1880’s through to the 1930’s.

WH obviously stands for the initials and the Chinese chop in the centre indicates the silversmith who actually made the piece – Just like Rembrandt and the Night Watch, Wang Hing would have had a team of craftsmen working to his specifications and quality – He could not have possibly made all those pieces with his mark himself! He would not have had a wink of sleep!!

But what does the “90” mean?   When tested the pieces made by Wang Hing are all of high-quality silver.  The “90” indicates this quality and many pieces are well in excess of 90% silver.

CHINESE EXPORT SILVER FOUR PIECE TEA SET – Esme Parish Silver

Each piece has his mark :

Occasionally we find pieces with Wang Hing written in full

CHINESE EXPORT SILVER BASKET – Esme Parish Silver

This mark is often considered to be the work of the master himself –Maybe…

But whatever, the Wang Hing mark is a guarantee of quality – both of the silver content and the craftsmanship – early quality control

Hong Kong was a huge source of Chinese Export silver but in the late 19^th and early 20^th century it was considered a bit of a cowboy town full of bucaneers!

The REAL centre of life was sophisticated and diplomatic Shanghai and some of the best silversmiths / silver retailers were based there

Luen Wo was one of the most prestigeous retail shops with top quality pieces and was renowned for his pieces with the chrysanthemum motif

Trading alamancs have him working in Shanghai from 1880’s through to the 1930’s

Here is an example of his mark

The depth and detail of the chrysanthemum flowers ..

Once again we see the western initials and the Chinese chop of the actual craftsman

Sometimes we find pieces with “Luen Wo” written in full – often pieces that were made in the early 20^th century

Here we have a classic Chinese Export silver bowl where the inscription dates it to 1917 and the Luen Wo is written in full

CHINESE SILVER FRIENDLY BOWL – Esme Parish Silver

There were other well established silver makers/retailers in Shanghai

Tuck Chang was well known for his lightly hammered backgrounds often with bamboo and many of his pieces date from the early 20^th century

But often we see his name in full

But as with Wang Hing you see a western mark and a Chinese chop – the silver shop in western script with the makers mark in Chinese script.

Another well known Shanghai based name was Hung Chong – again indicated in the trading almanacs to be working in the last years of the 19th and early years of the 20th century

Here we have a complete vanity set which is still in the original silk lined box

CHINESE EXPORT SILVER VANITY SET – Esme Parish Silver

Sing Fatt ( various spellings ) was a silversmith who continued working in Canton after the Opium wars – and again you find some excellent quality examples of his work.

Sometimes you find just the Chinese chop – certainly on any Straits settlement silver – these pieces were meant for the local market , never meant to travel so no need for those western letters

Here is a magnificent tall Chinese Export silver presentation vase

Crisp as the day it was made -clearly for a western buyer- the shape , the size , the dragon motif  but the vase only has a Chinese chop – no western mark

This is clearly a top quality presentation piece – maybe the buyer just wanted to cut out the retailer , or knew a quality silver maker so no need to go via a retail shop.

CHINESE EXPORT SILVER DRAGON VASE – Esme Parish Silver

Whatever happens when you are being offered Chinese Export silver look for the marks – the well established silver shops in Hong Kong , Shanghai and Canton will have marked the pieces – their guarantee of quality. The private makers would have been proud of their work and so would have marked them

Occasionally if pieces were part of a set not all the pieces in the set would have been marked . Years later the set could have been separated and so an unmarked piece of good Chinese Export silver can be found ( often Chinese Export silver napkin rings are unmarked )

There are lists of Chinese Export silver marks on the internet – there are many!

If you have a piece which you think might be Chinese Export silver and would like to learn more then do get in touch

Touch the what’s app button https://wa.me/6591546662

I’ll need a photo of that all important mark as well one of the item

Marks still rule!

Look forward to hearing from you

A three piece English sterling silver tea/coffee set.  This is by the famous Arts and Crafts movement silversmith AE Jones.

https://www.edinburghsilver.co/blog/a-e-jones-a-master-silversmith/

His inspiring use of texture and decoration can only be done by hand   Note the bark texture on the body of each piece and the border decoration, the carved ebony handle , the applied grape decoration

A Jones pieces are much collected.

People pop in and can’t believe that they cannot get a silver (coloured!) tray for S$100 or spend S$50 and get a bowl.  Sorry!

I am selling Sterling Silver – the real stuff not a veneer.  If melted down you would get real money so – guess what?- it costs more than plated silver!

Silver Plate is made of a base metal – usually something like nickel- which is electroplated with layers of silver.  In theory a layer of plating survives a year of cleaning.

Top quality Silver Plate comes with some 40 layers of plating, so a top-quality Silver Plate producer is able to give a ‘lifetime’ guarantee.   But it is still Silver Plate and not Sterling Silver!

Some well-known exclusive brands sell silver items with significantly less than 40 layers of plating.  The pieces will wear through to the base yellowish colour metal quite quickly – especially if you are living in a humid climate where items need to be cleaned often.

There is no intrinsic value or resale value.  Taken out of the shop and the resale value disappears.

So yes! my items are more expensive.  But they are not Silver plate!

They are Sterling Silver.  No – not 100% silver.  That would be too soft for daily use.  Silver needs a hardening agent – traditionally copper- so Sterling Silver is 92.5% silver and the balance copper.

Different countries have different ways of marking silver so you know for sure how to identify the real thing.

Just a quick Silver Lady ‘rule of thumb’ – the more the number of marks the less likely the item is to be Sterling Silver!

Look at this picture ….

Here you see two silver-coloured items.  The top has plenty of marks but no lion! It is Silver Plate.

The bottom has the lion passant – the symbol used by English silversmiths since Medieval times to show an item is Sterling Silver.

The lion is the all-important mark when looking at English silver.  If it is missing, then they didn’t forget to put the mark on the item, they just ‘forgot’ to make it of Sterling Silver!

Silver plated

Sterling silver

Two frames the same size – Which one is cheaper?              The second one !

-Which one will stay silver forever? –                                  Yes, the second one!

Check out our range of frames :  https://silverframessingapore.com   https://silverframeshongkong.com

There is a role for Silver Plate.  There are many beautiful silver-plated items.  They make excellent decoration and certainly you might get much more “bang for your buck” in terms of size.

But just beware that keen cleaning Silver Plate can bring it back to what is – base metal with a veneer- and to re-plate is expensive.

Real silver comes from many different sources – Chinese Export, Japanese Export , Indian/ Burmese

Just check the source before you spend big bucks …

So: Back to the real Silver Lady! And yes! the real thing does cost more!  But it lasts forever!

Take it away from my gallery and it will retain its value.

Not expensive lah!; just value for money.