Page 307 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

HENG CHANG
Canton
circa 1860-1920

A Heng Chang mark
alongside a Wang
Hing mark.

Heng Chang had a
long working
relationship with
Wang Hing & Co.

An extremely rare maker to find, yet one of the
most accomplished silversmiths working in the
latter part of the 19th century. Hong Chang silver
appears in two formats; one solely with the mark
that normally translates as Heng Chang zho [Made
by Heng Chang] as the mark above, or in
conjunction with a retail silversmith’s mark.

Probably the most unusual and rare item of Heng
Chang silver must be this circa 1885 Monstrance
that is believed to have been used by Jesuits in
Macau. This is a highly rare and unusual example
of Chinese Export Silver for Christian ceremonial
use. This is certainly the first Chinese silver
Monstrance I have seen.

The traditional Catholic sunburst has been used to
surround the host glass. Various agate stones and
jade are housed within ovoid lozenges applied
around the host glass. The crucifix tops the
sunburst, again in the traditional style of the
majority of portable monstrances.

What is especially interesting in this pieces are the
fluted knots around the base and the confluence of
knots under the sunburst. I can think of no
comparable Chinese silver that has adopted this
style, it is also not especially European or
Portuguese. It could simply be Heng Chang having
suggested the extension of the fluting around the
sunburst to be mirrored in the remainder of the
monstrance. It could also have taken reference
from Ming Dynasty guri lacquerware with carved
pommel and ruyi scrollwork [see inset in following
illustration].