Page 221 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

A late 19th century square-form bowl with concave mitred corners demonstrates so well how Cum Wo made
what would have been just another dragon-emblazoned silver bowl into a totally special piece. First and
foremost, the shape is quite unusual for the work of a Chinese silversmith, then the addition of the bamboo legs
immediately adds character.

Twenty years earlier, Cum Wo was creating far
more ornate silver work of the style that many
Chinese silversmiths had adopted - a fusion of
the high Victorian and High Chinese styles.

This circa 1880 heavily repoussé figural tea set
with highly ornate dragon handles and finials
helped build the reputation Cum Wo had in
Hong Kong.

To succeed in Hong Kong as a silversmith in
the latter half of the 19th century, one had to
have quality and one had to find ways to be
innovative within the boundaries that
traditional work and tastes allowed - Queen’s
Road Hong Kong was awash with retail
silversmiths.