Bowls, Dishes & Trays, Miscellany
Chinese Export Silver Oval Bowl
Status: FOR SALE
A Chinese export silver oval bowl or jardiniere, made by Tu Mao Xing, '涂茂興‘, circa 1890.
There are two dragon handles, and four dragon feet. There is a beaded rim and two animal heads, possibly sheep, looking out.
The main panels depict the story of the Three Kingdoms. One of the stories is “Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage". It was originally the story of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's visit to Zhuge Liang, and it conveys the meaning of inviting someone to take up a post or position multiple times until they accept the offer.The other story is "the Ruse of the Empty City", when Zhuge Liang playing Guqin on the battlements wall, opens the gate of the fort. The fort is undefended but, suspecting an ambush, the attackers decide not to procede. A master strategy and one used over and over in the mythology found in Chinese art.
Marked 涂茂興 (Tu Mao Xing), located in the city of 九江 (Jiu Jiang) in Jiangxi Province. Tu Mao Xing was one of the first silver retailers in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, with the business starting around 1850. Catering primarily to the Chinese market, the silverware shop developed a reputation for producing large quantities of fine silverware for the home market and for export, and is now widely collected.
Price range
£10k+
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