Page 670 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

A superb and highly unusual classic-form lidded
cider jug produced circa 1825 in the late 18th century
high Georgian style by Sun Shing. Known as “The
Winslow Jug, this piece simply oozes history as it
once would have oozed cider!

The jug itself has connections with both Canton
and silvermaking in its own right, since the
Winslow family not only had Edward Winslow
among its 17th/18th century forebears - a renowned
silversmith and contemporary of Paul Revere, but it
also had the two Isaac Winslows among its ranks in
the 19th century - Boston merchants trading with
Canton.

The jug, from the inscriptions around its middle
frieze panel, appears to have recorded notable
family events or unions over several generations.

Although silver cider jugs were certainly
a rarity in Canton, Chinese porcelain
cider jugs abounded in relative plenty.
The Chinese rose mandarin porcelain
covered cider jug [right] is more or less a
parallel piece to the Sun Shing jug. Apart
from the foo dog finial, there are several
elements to the porcelain jug that, if we
didn’t know better, might have served as
templates for the silver jug – the spout
probably the most noticeably similar.

A neo-classic vasiform Chinese Export Silver nutmeg grater [left] by
Sun Shing, again, decorated with motifs we would expect to find on
Georgian silver, this piece also has some colonial attributes. Just 8cm
tall, this exceptional piece was sold at auction in 2005 for $8400 at
Christie’s, New York. It was catalogued as being dated circa 1800,
making it one of Sun Shing’s earlier pieces