A Chinese Export Silver Tea Caddy embossed and chased with four shaped panels each decorated with prunus and birds, circa 1890. The body has a hammered background and a band of Greek-key decorationa, and the pull-off lid has prunus flowers and two birds. 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.
