ANTIQUE 19thC CHINESE EXPORT SOLID SILVER BATTLE SCENE MUG, LEECHING c.1870

DESCRIPTION

Antique late-19th Century Chinese export solid silver mug, of traditional shape and large size, the body is embossed with beautiful battle scenes in relief depicting Chinese warriors fighting amongst forest landscape, double walled, the front centering with an engraved shield shaped cartouche, with a coat of arms, the side mounted with a handle that is beautifully modelled as a dragon. Hallmarked with Chinese makers character marks and engraved with an unusually misspelled retailers mark LEECIHNG (LEE CHING, 24a Queens Road, Hong Kong 30 Old China Street, Canton; Sai Hing Kai Street, Canton & Club Street, Honam Island, Canton Nanking Road, Shanghai, active 1830-1895.

Although, as it happens with the majority of the Chinese export silver makers, we don’t know the real identity of Lee Ching, it is easy to recognise the same high quality and fine design in all the pieces marked by the company. Lee Ching had shops both in Canton and Shanghai where he retailed luxury items, jewellery and silver, mainly presentation pieces, tankards and goblets very much sought after by the Western clientele.

Lee Ching early pieces imitate the European neoclassical style and can compete with the finest Paul Storr production and can be recognised just for the heavy weight. In the second half of the century, Leeching introduced traditional Chinese motifs to decorate its pieces (dragons, bamboo leaves and genre scenes), but always maintaining neoclassical forms. Scholar Adrien Von Ferscht describes Leeching artworks as monumental (see A. Von Ferscht, Chinese Export Silver 1785-1940, 4th edition 2015). The firm also supplied Hancocks, the silver retailer based in London who also worked for Queen Victoria.

CONDITION

In Great Condition - No Damage.

SIZE

Height: 13cm
Width: 14 x 8cm
Weight: 380g