A fine Chinese bowl by Kwong Man Shing (active 1875-1925) of Hong Kong and Canton c.1900 engraved within a cartouche ‘24th May 1900 Penang Hunt Club Jumping Competition Won by Uganda’.

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Description

A fine Chinese export embossed and chased silver bowl by Kwong Man Shing (active 1875-1925) of Hong Kong and Canton c.1900 engraved within a cartouche ‘24th May 1900 Penang Hunt Club Jumping Competition Won by Uganda’.
This large circular bowl is elaborately decorated with traditional Chinese scenes of scholars. Within an exquisitely detailed landscape incorporating hills with trees, shrubs and birds, an enclosure with a detailed wall encloses several pavilions and a terrace. At the front, around the cartouche, we see two figures seated at a small table on which is placed food, cups and a tea pot with a scholar and servant standing to the right about to join them. The scene is framed by the branch of a tree laden with blossom on which two small birds can be seen.
From this scene, demarcated by trees and rocks, a small pavilion with drawn curtains and decorated doors houses a scene of two scholars at a table, one is reading a scroll while a servant presents a tea pot and the other scholar is shown animatedly pointing to two decorative boxes on the table.
Another area of rocks and trees is followed by a scholar and student standing in the landscape, the scholars clothing and appearance with him holding a large wooden staff is reminiscent of traditional representations of an immortal. The final scene shows servants next to a small tree covered hill in the act of brewing tea.
Such traditional scenes of scholars and domestic activity are rare on Chinese export silver but would have been suitable for western buyers who delighted in such exotic scenes.
Like many such bowls, this one has a large cartouche for an inscription to be added. In this case, as was common during this period, the bowl was used as a prize. The trade in such wares in Southeast Asia was widespread throughout the 19th century and the bowl could have either been purchased in Hong Kong or Canton or retailed in Penang itself.
Kwong Man Shing appears to have specialised in silver items for both local and ex pat customers, using traditional motifs to produce beautifully crafted wares they are of unusually high quality in terms of design and manufacture.

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Product REF: 10003