Cheong Lam

(1880 - 1910)

Scholar Adrien Von Ferscht described Cheong Lam as ‘a sadly all too rare retail silversmith whose work demonstrates clearly a highly creative mind and a quest for the highest quality’ (A. Von Ferscht, Chinese Export Silver 1785-1940, 4th edition 2015).

Cheong Lam - as many other Chinese silversmiths of the time - marked his silverware with a pseudo-hallmark imitating the English hallmark system, in his case ‘CL’.

Unfortunately the identity of this maker is still a mystery. Nevertheless Cheong Lam’s items reveal a superbe technique and a highly creative mind, often combining traditional Chinese motifs with irony and elegance.

For the extraordinary quality of his pieces and his rarity, Cheong Lam is nowadays very sought after among collectors.