Page 97 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

This item [right] was sold by an American
auction house and was described as
being a “Chinese Export Silver Tea
Caddy with two jadeite bangles and
jewelled with 30 pieces of carved green
jadeite, with gilt inside. Early 19th
century”.

It sold for $2000; it is 19cm high. Words
fail me!

The web is fast becoming populated with an
astonishing amount of “Ming” silver vases.
What is more astonishing [or should I say
distressing] is they are being sold.

Here we supposedly have a “Chinese Ming
Dynasty Silver-bronze Vase”. It carries the
following mark [below].

The online listing then goes into a whole
spiel about Ming Dynasty silver and the
traditional use of copper with silver. The item
even comes with a provenance and purports
to have an age “1368-1644”. It was sold for
$18,500; it is 21st century.