Page 147 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht
P. 147
BAO QAN HAO
Tai Wan [Formosa]
circa 1915- end date of manufacturing under research
A Chinese silversmith operating in Tai Wan probably under the Japanese administration. What is interesting
with the maker’s mark is that it contains a lozenge saying: “lai hui bao huan” meaning “can be exchanged”, a
rule at the time when buying silverware that the maker’s mark was a guarantee that an item could be exchanged
or money refunded.
Items from this maker are occasionally found in the West at auction and are often assumed to be mainstream
Chinese Export Silver by dint of fact they carry a silver mark in Chinese characters.
Image courtesy of I.M.Chait, Beverley Hills, Los Angeles
http://chinese-export-silver.com Image Library Archive
