{"id":4462293287002,"title":"Antique Chinese Straits Silver Coffee Pot - Circa 1900","handle":"antique-chinese-straits-silver-coffee-pot-circa-1900","description":"This stylish antique silver coffee pot is a fantastic example of Straits silverware, fusing elements of Chinese and Malay design. We believe it was made around 1900. Coffee, rather than tea, was the favoured beverage in many Straits homes. This coffee pot is a wonderfully rich amalgam of the Chinese and Malay cultures. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pot is of good size and weight. It has been made with high grade silver and ornamented with great finesse. Some features of the form, such as the chrysanthemum bud finial to the lid, the faux bamboo silver handle and spout and the melon form of the lower part of the pot are wholly Chinese. However, the ornamentation to the cover and lower part of the body are mostly drawn from the Malay, rather than the Chinese, tradition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSilversmiths from the native Malay tradition and immigrant silversmiths from the Chinese tradition, co-existed in Malaysia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In her introduction to Roth's book, Oriental Silverwork, Malay and Chinese, Sylvia Fraser-Lu states that around 300 Chinese silversmiths were working in Singapore around 1900 and that there were a further 1,300 in Malaysia in 1905. 'Chinese craftsmen ..... were able to reproduce traditional Malay-style objects in flawless craftsmanship'. They were '.... immigrant Chinese silversmiths from Southern China who fashioned a variety of jewellery, bed ornaments, and items for hospitality and ritual used by the prosperous, long-established Malaysian Chinese families.' \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe craftsmanship is superb and of the highest quality which indicates that this was the work of a master silversmith. The pot features a domed hinged lid topped by a segmented chrysanthemum bud-shaped finial. The silver handle and spout are curvaceous and naturalistic, imitating bamboo; the opening at the mouth of the spout is zoomorphic. Practically, the handle also contains insulators. The body of the pot is tall with a wide straight neck which flares out at the top and bottom giving the pot a ‘low waist’. Overall, the shape resembles a drip filter coffee pot in a style popular in continental Europe during the 19th century. The lower part of the body is melon shaped, a shape also encountered in Chinese silver teapots of similar age. The pot is supported by a plain silver pedestal foot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe lid has been ornamented using repousse and chased techniques. Surrounding the base of the chrysanthemum bud finial is a ruyi border. The dome of the lid is divided into four areas of ornamentation, separated by ribbons of plain silver. Each section contains a naturalistic portrayal of a flowering plant with its foliage; one of the designs features an orchid. The four designs are all different and the background to the designs has been softly hammered. The flat rim of the lid is encircled by a geometric chased border of typical Malay ‘mountain ranges’ ornament.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe neck of the vessel has been ornamented with borders to the top and bottom only with no ornament to the centre part. This allows the plain silver ground to contrast with the richly ornamented, darkened, punched and hammered areas. This textural variation adds richness and interest, holding the viewer's attention. There are scalloped edges to the sides of the borders facing the centre of the neck which recall the shape of a Chinese court collar. The background to the repousse borders has been finely punched and darkened. The top border features bats, symbolising good fortune. This ornamentation draws on the Chinese tradition whilst the lower border depicts naturalistic vegetal elements in typical Malay style.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are four principal panels to the lower, bellied, part of the pot. They lie under a geometric meander pattern border which is a traditional Chinese pattern known as Huí Wén and represents rebirth. It has been used in China as far back as the Neolithic period, becoming prominent during the Ming dynasty. A corresponding border of tessellating waves lies underneath the principal panels. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe four principal panels are quatrefoil in shape with each panel depicting an artistic arrangement of leafy stems with fruits and seedpods. The fruits and seeds represent a wish that the union would be fruitful and that the couple would be blessed with children. The ground outside the pictures and to the corners, has been softly hammered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis represents a very rare opportunity to purchase an antique Chinese Straits silver coffee pot of great style and superb quality in fantastic original and undamaged condition. The design and execution are superb and there is an admirable play of light, shade, contrast, balance and textural variation which captures the interest and attention of the viewer. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo the underside of the base, there are two silver marks, the initials PE and a silver fineness mark of 935, showing the purity of the silver to be higher than sterling at 935\/1000. The style of the silver marks, particularly the fineness mark, suggests that the pot was taken to Europe and assayed, probably in Germany, in the 1920s or 30s\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDimensions:- Height 22.5 cms; Width 21.5 cms\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWeight:- 558 grammes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProvenance:- \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReferences:-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePatricia Bjaaland Welch, Chinese Art - A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery, Tuttle Publishing, Vermont USA, 2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChinese Export Silver 1785-1940, The Definitive Collectors’ Guide, 4th Edition, 2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eH Ling Roth, Oriental Silverwork, Malay and Chinese with an introduction by Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur 1993","published_at":"2019-12-13T00:46:20+00:00","created_at":"2019-12-13T01:05:06+00:00","vendor":"Joseph Cohen Antiques","type":"Coffee Pot","tags":["Chinese Straits Silver","Sold Archive"],"price":180000,"price_min":180000,"price_max":180000,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":31593133015130,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"JC-COFF-06785","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Antique Chinese Straits Silver Coffee Pot - Circa 1900","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":180000,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot.jpg?v=1581897371","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot_-_Circa_1900.jpg?v=1581897390","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Chinese_Antique_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot_-_Circa_1900.jpg?v=1581897410","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Coffee_Pot_Straits_Silver.jpg?v=1581897431","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot_-_C1900.jpg?v=1581897453","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Finest_Quality_Antique_Chinese_Coffee_Pot_Straits_Silver.jpg?v=1581897472"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot.jpg?v=1581897371","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Antique Chinese Straits Silver Coffee Pot","id":6732725747802,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":768,"width":768,"src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot.jpg?v=1581897371"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":768,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique_Chinese_Straits_Silver_Coffee_Pot.jpg?v=1581897371","width":768},{"alt":"Antique Chinese Straits Silver Coffee Pot - 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We believe it was made around 1900. Coffee, rather than tea, was the favoured beverage in many Straits homes. This coffee pot is a wonderfully rich amalgam of the Chinese and Malay cultures. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pot is of good size and weight. It has been made with high grade silver and ornamented with great finesse. Some features of the form, such as the chrysanthemum bud finial to the lid, the faux bamboo silver handle and spout and the melon form of the lower part of the pot are wholly Chinese. However, the ornamentation to the cover and lower part of the body are mostly drawn from the Malay, rather than the Chinese, tradition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSilversmiths from the native Malay tradition and immigrant silversmiths from the Chinese tradition, co-existed in Malaysia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In her introduction to Roth's book, Oriental Silverwork, Malay and Chinese, Sylvia Fraser-Lu states that around 300 Chinese silversmiths were working in Singapore around 1900 and that there were a further 1,300 in Malaysia in 1905. 'Chinese craftsmen ..... were able to reproduce traditional Malay-style objects in flawless craftsmanship'. They were '.... immigrant Chinese silversmiths from Southern China who fashioned a variety of jewellery, bed ornaments, and items for hospitality and ritual used by the prosperous, long-established Malaysian Chinese families.' \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe craftsmanship is superb and of the highest quality which indicates that this was the work of a master silversmith. The pot features a domed hinged lid topped by a segmented chrysanthemum bud-shaped finial. The silver handle and spout are curvaceous and naturalistic, imitating bamboo; the opening at the mouth of the spout is zoomorphic. Practically, the handle also contains insulators. The body of the pot is tall with a wide straight neck which flares out at the top and bottom giving the pot a ‘low waist’. Overall, the shape resembles a drip filter coffee pot in a style popular in continental Europe during the 19th century. The lower part of the body is melon shaped, a shape also encountered in Chinese silver teapots of similar age. The pot is supported by a plain silver pedestal foot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe lid has been ornamented using repousse and chased techniques. Surrounding the base of the chrysanthemum bud finial is a ruyi border. The dome of the lid is divided into four areas of ornamentation, separated by ribbons of plain silver. Each section contains a naturalistic portrayal of a flowering plant with its foliage; one of the designs features an orchid. The four designs are all different and the background to the designs has been softly hammered. The flat rim of the lid is encircled by a geometric chased border of typical Malay ‘mountain ranges’ ornament.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe neck of the vessel has been ornamented with borders to the top and bottom only with no ornament to the centre part. This allows the plain silver ground to contrast with the richly ornamented, darkened, punched and hammered areas. This textural variation adds richness and interest, holding the viewer's attention. There are scalloped edges to the sides of the borders facing the centre of the neck which recall the shape of a Chinese court collar. The background to the repousse borders has been finely punched and darkened. The top border features bats, symbolising good fortune. This ornamentation draws on the Chinese tradition whilst the lower border depicts naturalistic vegetal elements in typical Malay style.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are four principal panels to the lower, bellied, part of the pot. They lie under a geometric meander pattern border which is a traditional Chinese pattern known as Huí Wén and represents rebirth. It has been used in China as far back as the Neolithic period, becoming prominent during the Ming dynasty. A corresponding border of tessellating waves lies underneath the principal panels. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe four principal panels are quatrefoil in shape with each panel depicting an artistic arrangement of leafy stems with fruits and seedpods. The fruits and seeds represent a wish that the union would be fruitful and that the couple would be blessed with children. The ground outside the pictures and to the corners, has been softly hammered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis represents a very rare opportunity to purchase an antique Chinese Straits silver coffee pot of great style and superb quality in fantastic original and undamaged condition. The design and execution are superb and there is an admirable play of light, shade, contrast, balance and textural variation which captures the interest and attention of the viewer. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo the underside of the base, there are two silver marks, the initials PE and a silver fineness mark of 935, showing the purity of the silver to be higher than sterling at 935\/1000. The style of the silver marks, particularly the fineness mark, suggests that the pot was taken to Europe and assayed, probably in Germany, in the 1920s or 30s\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDimensions:- Height 22.5 cms; Width 21.5 cms\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWeight:- 558 grammes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProvenance:- \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReferences:-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePatricia Bjaaland Welch, Chinese Art - A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery, Tuttle Publishing, Vermont USA, 2008\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChinese Export Silver 1785-1940, The Definitive Collectors’ Guide, 4th Edition, 2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eH Ling Roth, Oriental Silverwork, Malay and Chinese with an introduction by Sylvia Fraser-Lu, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur 1993"}