Page 968 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

A s w i t h m u c h o f t h e
Shanghai or Hong Kong
silver of this period, finely
planished items were very
much de rigour and Zee
Sung pieces display a
mastery of this silver finish.

This gentleman’s shaving set includes an
exquisitely precision-made safety razor and
blade box contained in a traditional dragon
engraved box and is actually an extremely rare
item - possibly even bespoke made.

Certainly one of the most memorable pieces to have come
to light in recent years is this magnificent lidded standing
cup which, as with the other examples, all feature the
almost Zee Sung signature of a finely planished ground.
The cup also displays the ability to create keynote pieces
as well as the more mundane objects, yet all with the
same degree of quality of workmanship.

The handles are modelled as a pheonix [fènghuáng]
emanating from prunus branches and the lid topped by a
glorious bud finial. The bowl is decorated in low relief
against a finely planished ground and features a pheonix
amidst a variety of foliate motifs.

The fènghuáng is a Chinese mythological bird that is
believed reigns over all other birds and according to
legend is said to have the beak of a rooster, face of a
swallow, forehead of a fowl, neck of a snake, breast of a
goose, back of a tortoise, hind quarters of a stag and the
tail of a fish!

Images courtesy of Heritage Auctions, Dallas; Pushkin
Antiques, London; Skinner Auctioneers Inc, Boston & Miami

http://chinese-export-silver.com
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