Page 276 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

GEM WO
Canton
circa 1850-1900

Gem Wo - a retail silversmith
who appears to have liked
springing surprises. Although
not rare, Gem Wo pieces are
not as available as other
marks, but when one finds a
piece bearing the Gem Wo
mark, it will so often have a
very distinctive style.

The circa 1890 snuff box [left]
i s n o t p a r t i c u l a r l y
extraordinary other than it is
not immediately obvious it was
made by a Chinese silversmith.
The colour of the silver,
however, is that rich deep
slightly greyish silver one
often sees in Gem Wo pieces;
a silver that has a very tactile,
soft quality to it.

Gem Wo pieces are often dramatic. One of the items most frequently seen with the Gem Wo mark are lidded
cups; Gem Wo seems to have been one of the preferred destinations for ordering trophies in the late 19th
century.