Page 315 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht
P. 315
HOACHING [aka: WO HING; HI XING]
Sai Hing Hai Street, Canton; Old China Street, Canton; Club Street, Honam Island,
Canton
circa 1825-1880
The Hoaching mark is often referred to as the “Lombardic H”
Crosby Forbes and Kernan both catalogued Hoaching as having operated circa 1850-1870. However,
documentation now exists that attests to the existence of Hoaching in Old China Street as early as 1825.
Hoaching was generally considered the best purveyor of carved ivory in Canton. His two sons ran the Honam
Island shop - this shop existed 1850-1870 but surviving examples of Hoaching silver indicate a probable end
date of 1880, based on style.
Recently discovered original labels used by Hoaching clearly show that the Cantonese Chinese name for the
business was Wo Hing. They also demonstrate that as with other retail silversmiths, Hoaching was a purveyor of
other luxury decorative and jewellery items, including jade, carved ivory and sandalwood, lacquer ware and
gold. In this respect, Hoaching was a very similar retail operation to Wang Hing & Company, Cutshing and
others.
