Page 612 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

QIU TIAN BAO
Nanking Road, ShangHai
circa 1795-1900

One of the so-called “Nine Factories in
Shanghai

Qiu Tian Bao was a retail and manufacturing silversmith. Not only was it one of the so-called “Nine Factories” of
Shanghai, but it was one of the longest practising silversmiths. As such, it revelled in traditional Chinese
decorative influences, much of it drawing on past dynasties.

Qiu Tian Bao was situated on Nanking Road in the Foreign Settlement area of Shanghai. A retail silversmith
exists today on Shanghai Old Street and purports to be over 100 years old. This store has no connection with
the original Qiu Tian Bao silversmith.

By the Tang Dynasty [618-907AD],
silver gilt drinking cups [left]
proliferated, silver making from
Sassania [modern-day Iran] being
the main influence. This particular
small cup was sold at auction in
2010 for a staggering $22,500.
The following Qiu Tian Bao set
has cups that are well rendered,
as are the saucers that are lotus
inspired. The cups are directly
inspired by Tang Dynasty silver.