Page 83 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

In commercial products, Alpaca silver is frequently found in musical instruments. A nickel
silver saxophone is considered to have an exceptionally powerful sound, and many
popular manufacturers carry at least one model. Because nickel silver needs no
lacquering, it is commonly material used for the keys on woodwinds. Oboes, clarinets and
bassoons are all likely to have alpaca silver components.

A pair of Paktong column candlesticks, circa A pair of Chinese Paktong candlesticks circa
1765-75 1770 from Canton and bearing pseudo-hallmarks

Given Chinese Paktong candlesticks were made in the neo-classical styles prevalent in
Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, similar candlesticks in Chinese Export Silver are
extremely rare - in fact, Chinese Export Silver candlesticks in any style are few and far
between, relative to the quantities other objects were produced in.

In the early 20th century with the advent of the department store in China, the Sincere
Company was a pioneer of the use of Paktong as well as its slightly poorer cousin, pewter.
Sincere had a regular inventory of Paktong goods in its silver department and marked all
those items, as with Chinese Export Silver, with the Sincere ‘Xianshi” mark.

But here lies a hidden problem. The following illustrated pair of lidded tureens in the neo-
classical style carry the Sincere Xianshi mark accompanied by a mark telling us in Chinese
they are made of “white alloy” - a euphemism for Paktong.