Antique Chinese Silver Loving Cup/Vase, Kylins & Dragons, Luen Hing, Shanghai circa 1900

£3,350.00

Description

Antique Chinese Silver Loving Cup/Vase, Kylins & Dragons, Luen Hing, Shanghai circa 1900
A splendid and fantastical Chinese silver cup with ornamented panels of repousse and chased work, and fine sculptural elements. The cup is supported on three cast and chased silver feet, in the form of kylin heads, which have been finely modelled and wonderfully detailed. The three oversized cast silver handles take the form of sinuous and characterful dragons. The figures have been finely modelled and superbly chased, with a high level of detail. The dragons appear to be peering over the rim of the cup and they are beautifully rendered and finely detailed, bringing a smile to my face.
The style of this vessel has been influenced by European design, where three handled cups had a long tradition and were known as trygs. They were extremely popular in the nineteenth century and commonly known as ‘loving cups’ but the ornamentation is entirely in the Chinese tradition. It would function equally well as a posy vase.
There are nine repousse and chased panels to the lower part of the body of the cup featuring ani assortment of flowering plants, flowering trees and grasses.
Clear well struck marks to the underside of the base are in three cartouches, firstly, the letters LH, denoting Luen Hing of Shanghai, a notable retailer of luxury goods - predominantly silver - who traded from about 1880 to 1920 and catered for the burgeoning affluent and stylish Chinese middle class and members of the foreign - mainly European - community, living and working in Shanghai. The second cartouche contains the numbers 95, indicating a silver fineness of 950/1000 (higher than sterling) and the third cartouche contains Chinese characters, which are probably the mark of the artisan or silversmith.
A very interesting and unusual Chinese silver cup with superbly detailed and characterful sculptural elements.

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Product REF: 10013