Important Silversmiths – Luen Wo
19th Century Chinese solid silver wine ewer, impressively fine quality, baluster form, the body and base chased with chrysanthemums on matted ground, the handle naturalistically modelled imitating a branch, chased hinged cover surmounted by a similarly shaped finial.
Hallmarked, with Chinese character marks and retailers mark for Luen Wo.
Reference Number: A5206
Luen Wo was a very important retail silversmith based in Shanghai, he also traded in jewellery, diamonds and embroideries. His artworks show a very high quality that only equals the standards of Wang Hing, in Canton.
Luen Wo was very productive and relied on a large number of designers and artisans, such as Ning Zhao Ji. His items generally bear the mark with his full name or the initials LW and the mark of the artisan who realised the piece.
The firm mainly produced items in the traditional Chinese style, featuring classical motifs such as bamboo leaves, prunus blossoms, chrysanthemums and dragons but, especially after 1880, he is recorded as having also made Peranakan-style items.
20th Century Chinese export silver impressively large, five piece tea set, comprising of a hot water kettle on stand, teapot, covered sugar bowl, milk jug and sugar tongs, each body is embossed with a lovely bamboo-leaf design on matted ground, hollow handles and spout modeled as bamboo branches.
Hallmarked with Chinese silver marks (900+ standard), tea set hallmarked with the silversmith mark C.J.Co (China Jewelery Company, Shanghai) and the kettle by the retailer LUENWO (Shanghai)
REFERENCE NUMBER: A5178
19th Century Chinese Export silver cetrepiece bowl on a stand, the massive body is applied with a cast dragon in high relief, it rests on three large and finely crafted dragons holding the pearl of wisdom in their mouth.
Hallmarked Chinese silver (900+ standard), Mark "LW" for Luen Wo.
Reference Number: A3313