Page 346 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

HUI YUAN
Bangkok, Thailand
circa 1840-1910

For some time Hui Yuan was
believed by many to have
been a Chinese silversmith
operating in Canton. Research
now reveals he was a
silversmith operating in
Bangkok producing very high
quality traditional silver of the
region, some of which could
be mistaken as being Chinese
Export Silver.

T h i s H u i Y u a n p l a t t e r
appeared in the 1985 Chait
Collection catalogue as being
Chinese Export Silver and
indeed there were some
Canton-based silversmiths
who operated in Bangkok in
the 19th century, but Bangkok
was not considered as a
possible location for a
Chinese silversmith when the
C o l l e c t i o n w a s b e i n g
catalogued.

The dish takes the form of a
traditional ‘toh’ or offering
dish that were placed on
altars, to hold wedding gifts or
betel nut sets.

The ‘arabesque’ petal form
suggests an Islamic influence.
Such dishes were often made
as a tazza [on a stemmed foot]
and were frequently decorated with a central motif such as a stylised peony flower