CHINESE EXPORT SILVER
By the late 18th/early 19th centuries, the phenomenon we now know as Chinese Export Silver was well-entrenched. It happened simply because silver, as a material, was more plentiful in China than anywhere else and the art of silversmithing had been perfected to such a high level. It was also relatively cheap, compared to Western counterparts.
This capability was quick to be recognized; merchants and sea-captains began to bring western silver items as examples to be copied, while the demand for bespoke items also increased. It is because of this surge of requests to "copy" that we find a peculiarly Chinese Export Silver circumstance mainly in relation to silver created in the 1785/1840 period.
The phenomenon is often referred to as "pseudo-hallmarks" and most Chinese silversmiths adopted them. But, initially they did so unwittingly, since when they were asked to faithfully copy items brought from the West, many of them had British hallmarks - and so the silversmiths copied "faithfully" hallmarks and all! Yet, not fully understanding the significance of the information these marks imparted, a degree of artistic license was applied; date letters were replaced by a letter that might have been the first Latin letter of the silversmith's name, often using local transcribing. Nearly all silver created during this period was of Western form.
It is during the 1840/1880 period of Chinese Export Silver making we see a change in appearance of the silver produced and the marks makers used on them. Chinese motifs begin to appear on items. It is also during this period we see more silversmiths appearing. Makers' marks also changed in as much as some makers began to use marks that combined Latin initials of the maker along with a mark in Chinese characters or ideograms of the actual artisan silversmith that carried out the work under the roof of the master silversmith. This latter mark is known as the "chopmark". This indicates that makers probably ran workshops where several experienced silver makers operated until the master artisan silversmith,the man behind the Chinese chopmark, finished it.
The 1880/1940 manufacturing period of Chinese Export Silver is where we find a larger number of known silversmiths operating. As with the preceding periods, makers' marks are equally non-consistent in format.
In any case, keep in mind that name or initials in Latin characters are not the name of the actual maker. They will almost certainly identify the retail silversmith or, more correctly, the name under which he trades.
A - B -C - D - E - F
G - H - I - J - K
L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S
T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
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CHINESE EXPORT SILVER MAKER'S MARKS
G - H - I - J - K
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Guang Yuan (Kuang Yuan)
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Guang Yuan (Kuang Yuan)
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workshop/artisan mark
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GW
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Gen Wo or Gem Wo - Canton
active c.1850-1875
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H (Lombardic character)
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Hoaching, Club Street, Honam Island, Canton
active c.1850-1890
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HC HUNGCHONG&CO
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Hung Chong & Co, Club Street, Canton and 11b Nankin Road, Shanghai
active c.1860-1930
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HCG
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Houcheong or Houchong, New China Street, Canton
active c.1825-1850
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HCH
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unidentified, Canton
active c.1830-1875
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H.G
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unidentified
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HHC
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Hei Hing Ch'eung, Canton
active c.1830-1890
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HK
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unidentified
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HM
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unidentified
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Hui - Hong Kong
active 1850-1900
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workshop/artisan mark
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I&CO
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unidentified
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JK
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unidentified
active last quarter 19th century (possibly)
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K (Gothic)
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unidentified, possibly Canton
active 1825-1875 (possibly)
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KC
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unidentified, Canton
active c. 1825-1875
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KH
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Kwan Hing, Shanghai (possibly)
active c. 1875-1930 (possibly)
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KHC
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Kecheong, Old China Street, Canton & Club Street, Honam Island, Canton
 (Chinese name)
active c. 1840-1870
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KL
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Guang Li - Shanghai
 (Chinese name) active 2nd quarter 20th century
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KMS
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Kwong Man Shing - 24 Queen's Road-Hong Kong and, possibly, Canton
 (Chinese name) active 1875-1925
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KW
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Kwan Wo - Canton or Hong Kong (possibly)
 (Chinese name)
active 1870-1925
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workshop/artisan marks
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K.W
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Kwong Wa - Hong Kong
active c.1865-1895
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CHINESE EXPORT SILVER MAKERS
A - B -C - D - E - F
G - H - I - J - K
L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S
T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
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