Page 300 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

HAN TIAN BAO
Tientsin
circa 1890-1930

This silversmith has only recently
come to light and has been
recorded, but this is obviously a
highly skilled master of his art.

This circa 1905 picture frame is
not only highly skilled but it is an
exquisite use of allegorical
traditional motifs that come
together to create a symmetrical
frame for what was obviously
intended to be a marriage photo.

The pair of magpies that flank
each side of the oval represent
conjugal fidelity.

The central flaming pearl at the
bottom of the frame is indicative
of the importance this symbol had
become by the mid-Qing period -
it had evolved into an important
symbolic conveyor of wealth and
good luck.
As a whole, the frame has
managed to embody a feeling of
the Arts & Crafts movement that
had achieved popularity in many
Western countries at this time.

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