Page 376 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

The goblet is rather grand, overall is atmospherically very Chinese yet it also has a high Victorian quality about
it too.
The three decorate vignette panels around the cup contain typically traditional Chinese motifs and scenes.

But one is apt to forget that Gothic K was a retail silversmith who was commissioning items from artisan
silversmiths, so any influence the Gothic K shop had upon the actual maker would have been in specifying
decorative detailing. It is probably because of this that an almost identical goblet, also dating to circa 1855-60, is
known to exist bearing the mark of the retail silversmith Lee Ching; a Canton contemporary of Gothic K. In this
respect, the world of the Chinese retail silversmiths, particularly in Canton, operated in a similar way to many
modern-day trades - the wholesale clothing or “rag trade” is probably a good example. It’s all in the
specifications, the design detail and the money that changed hands between maker and retailer.
Images courtesy of Sotheby’s, New York; Michael Backman, London; Christie’s, New York; CES Gallery; Supershrink’s
Storehouse of Silver

http://chinese-export-silver.com Image Library Archive