A Pair of 19th Century Chinese Bowls
Silver
Hong Kong or Canton, circa, 1890
Maker’s mark of Wang Hing to the base
Height: 14.5cm (5.5'') Width: 26.5cm (10.5'').
Weight: 1,880g, 60ozs 9dwt

The six-sided lobed body decorated with a variety of motifs in relief to include birds and flowers, birds perching on blossoming branches, butterflies, bats and flowers, leafy bamboo canes. With delicately engraved details. The three handles and feet in the form of dragons.

Artist Biography:
Wang Hing & Company is operating at Zetland House, 10 Queen’s Road, Hong Kong, at 1 Sai Sing Street, Canton (Guangzhou) and in Shanghai in circa 1854-1925. Wang Hing is probably the most prolific of all Chinese Export Silver makers. He was also one of the first to create retail silver emporia. (N.B. Wang Hing did not exist prior to 1854, yet items abound that purport to be earlier Wang Hing - this, however, is an incorrect assumption.)

Wang Hing was commissioned by Tiffany & Co in New York to manufacture exclusive items for them, for which Wang Hing devised a special “chopmark” only used for Tiffany items [see right]. Tiffany did not sell silver items before discovering Wang Hing in China. Wang Hing made for Tiffany for a period of 20 years.