Page 504 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

An extremely rare Lin Chong filigree silver and
silver gilt card case, circa 1830.

Filigree silver was a speciality of a very few
Chinese artisan silversmiths by the early 19th
century, although several retail silversmiths of
the late 18th century built their reputation on
filigree silver items, but Lin Chong, as far as is
known, was not one of these.

The fineness and intricacy of this cyma-form
filigree case points to a filigree master having
been responsible for it. The art of filigree was
introduced into China by Sassanian Jewish
silversmith travelling the Silk Route back in the
Sung Dynasty. In the 10th century, a significant
number of these silversmiths came to settle in
Kaifeng and that tradition has filtered down
through the centuries to the 19th century. It is
known that Chinese Jewish silversmiths who
were descendants of the Kaifeng settlers were
still operating in the 19th century; in fact, one
Chinese Jewish silversmith still operates to this
day in Kaifeng.

It is unfortunate that because of the use of a
pseudo-hallmark on this piece, we can never
know who the artisan was for this card case.

As with many of its Canton contemporaries, Lin
Chong also produced superb flatware in the
Georgian style for almost 3 decades. Examples
are to be found in important collections such as
Yale University Library Museum and
Goldsmiths’ Hall in London. This circa 1830
dessert spoon is a fine example [below].

Images courtesy of Koopmans Rare Art, London; Leopard Antiques, Cape Town South Africa; Supershrink’s Storehouse
of Silver

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