Page 858 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

contemporary rival the Sincere Company came at a time when the cracks had already appeared in the ailing
Qing Dynasty and a new order of an affluent Chinese middle class was gathering momentum.

As with all Chinese Export Silver marks, Wing On Company was no exception inasmuch as they lacked any
conformity. The selection of marks shows three distinct groups of mark; a mark specific to Hong Kong, a mark
for Shanghai and a general mark. Many of the marks carried the Yong’an mark [Wing On in Cantonese].

The bottom two marks in the previously illustrated marks’ section contain a spelling error “Ing On” . This is
interesting but not unusual, but what is interesting is a well-known auction house catalogued the two items
bearing these marks as being a “rare maker
ING ON”.

This tea kettle and stand is probably one of
the first “lines” that Wing On stocked - the
store tended to have a mixture of items that
were part of a repeatable range plus some
more individualistic items for the more
discerning customer. Many Chinese
silversmiths created similar objects but this
Wing On piece is noticeably paired down -
minimal decoration, engraved motifs rather
than repoussé and the handle and spout
given a slightly modern look while retaining
the basic traditional accents. This is exactly
what one would expect from a department
store, albeit one that regarded itself as a high
quality establishment.

The stylish tea set [right] blends a hint of Art Deco
with traditional Chinese style elements. The tea pot
has a woven raffia handle cover which is in keeping
with contemporary Western silver; the main body of
each piece has a finely planished finish.