Page 55 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht
P. 55
THE NUTS & BOLTS OF CHINESE EXPORT SILVER -
The Signature Chinese Screw Nut
An additional method for identifying the authenticity of a Chinese Export Silver piece is
when a screw nut is an essential part of the overall manufacture. These are often found
under the base of a goblet or inside a lid which has a finial or under the base of items such
as rosewater sprinklers
Chinese silversmiths favoured a quatrefoil-shaped nut and this can often distinguish
between an object created in China from one made in the Straits territories such as
Formosa or Siam. These nuts were invariably hand-made by using a fret saw, which can
readily be seen from the example [above].
These nuts are such an idiosyncratic trait of Chinese Export
Silver that it is hard to know the origin of how they came to
be. A strange thing to research it may be, but when an
almost full-proof clue to identifying an object presents itself,
it’s satisfying to know its evolutionary roots.
