The Silver Age

As an advanced voyage vessel, the Manila galleon was made of wood and built by Chinese shipwrights hired by the Spanish in Manila, it had a typical payload of hundreds to one or two thousand tons.

(Exhibition View of The Silver Age: Origins and Trade for Chinese Export Silver at HKMM)

(Maps from Andre Gunder Frank, ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age (Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1998) 65,148.)

(Maps from Andre Gunder Frank, ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age (Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 1998) 65,148.)

The variety of gold and silver wares mainly included food containers, wine vessels and other categories for daily use, with particular reference to the style and culture of Western regions and Persia. (Courtesy of the Mengdiexuan Collection)

Later Khitan, Jurchen, Mongolian, Manchu and other grassland nomads established a great demand for gold and silver wares, such as the common silver trappings, belts, headdresses and food containers, each with distinctive national characteristics. (Courtesy of The Mengdiexuan Collection)

The basic techniques of producing Chinese silver ware can be divided into the main categories of casting, repousse, gilding, chasing, filigree. punching, piercing and applique. (Courtesy of The Cheng Xun Tang Collection)

Silks, porcelains and furniture, mainly produced by China and Japan, were shipped into Europe in the frequent maritime trade. (Hong Kong Maritime Museum Collection)

At the time, handicrafts made in Europe demonstrated certain "Oriental" elements such as Chinese flowers, figures and architecture seen particularly in the artistic styles of Baroque and Rococo.

(Photograph © The State Hermitage Museum. Photo by Vladimir Terebenin. Collection from the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg)

Chinoiserie expressed Europeans' imagination and desires regarding Asian culture, and created a demand for the export of Chinese silver wares. (Courtesy of The K.L. Leung Collection of Export Art)

In Europe, silver has always been regarded as a symbol of wealth and power. It traditionally was an indispensable treasure in high-profile events such as royal banquets. (Courtesy of Chris Hall Collection)

Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection.

The term "Export Silver" refers to silver ware produced specifically for export by Asian silversmiths, catering to foreign tastes and demand. (Courtesy of the K.L Leung Collection of Export Art)

The rapid development of ocean shipping and maritime trade was a necessary condition for export silver, which spread overseas through foreign trade and became fashionable daily commodities and collectable items for European aristocrats. (Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection)

Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection

The history of Chinese export silver began in the Kangxi era, and flourished from the Qianlong to Daoguang reigns, and continuously developed in the late Qing and Republican period.(Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Commonly seen product categories including tea sets, baskets, caskets, jewelries and toiletry sets, reflecting women's role as patrons and consumers of export silver. (Courtesy of the Cheng Xun Tang Collection and the K.L Leung Collection of Export Art)

Owing to the excellent workmanship of Chinese silver and its price- far lower than that of European and American silver- it gradually attracted foreign merchants'and ship captains'attention. Silver was ordered either for their own use, or for their relatives and friends as souvenirs. (Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Export silver commonly made in Canton included tableware, tea sets, goblets, mugs and snuff boxes. (Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection)

There were two major styles of export silver in the Canton Thirteen Hongs. The first one would be entirely following the prototypes of foreign silver ware. (Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

The second style would be blending Western-style forms and Asian embellishments together. It showed strong Chinese characteristics, inheriting figures, flowers, dragons and phoenix motifs from Chinese traditions. (Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

With the five ports beginning to trade, Canton's predominance of export silver came to the end. Silver workshops relocated to the neighboring cities, such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjing and Chengdu. (Made in Chengdu; Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Shanghai at the end of the nineteenth century was in contact with many facets of Western culture. People using export silver ware in Shanghai included some in society who had accepted Western knowledge, or Westernized Chinese who returned after studying overseas. (Made in Shanghai; Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection)

The painting realistically depicts the late Qing diplomat Liu Ruifeng giving a banquet in Yangshan Tang of Shanghai's Yu Garden for the younger brother (Prince of Prussia) of future German Kaiser Wilhelm II and a group of naval officers. It showcases a banquet gathering reflecting the meeting of China and the West. (Courtesy of Shanghai History Museum)

Beijing, the capital of China, was where late Qing officials frequently made the courtesy of giving banquets to receive overseas guests. (Made in Beijing; Courtesy of Guangdong Museum)

Made in Tianjin. Courtesy of Guangdong Museum.

Made in Jiujiang. Courtesy of Guangdong Museum.

Made in Guangdong. Courtesy of Guangdong Museum.

Made in Hong Kong. Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection.

The dissemination of beliefs also relied on the geographical advantage of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.
(Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Charles Gutzlaff (1803-1851), a famous German missionary of the nineteenth century, devoted his entire life to missionary work, Bible translation, writings and political as well as diplomatic services. He was proficient in Chinese dialects, and he was hired by the East India Company as an interpreter in 1832 to conduct opium trade and missionary work. In 1834, he was employed as a translator by the British government. He once drafted and witnessed the signing of the "Treaty of Nanking". Later, he served as Chinese Secretary of the Hong Kong Governor Sir Henry Pottinger, specializing in local Chinese affairs.

(Hong Kong Maritime Museum Collection)

The three regions of Canton, Hong Kong and Macao became a bridge for the transplantation and circulation of religious beliefs. (Courtesy of Guangdong Museum)

Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection

In Hong Kong's early days, export silver stores mostly gathered in Queen's Road, of which Wang Hing was the largest and most productive. (Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Wang Hing started its business in Canton and established a branch in Hong Kong in the early twentieth century. It was an example of the relocation of artisans and workmanship from Canton to Hong Kong.

(Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Wang Hing's business even extended overseas, serving as a supplier of silver to the famed American jewelry company Tiffany & Co.

(Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Scripts carved on the surface of this silver trowel record the expansion of Po Leung Kok, while the hallmark 'Chou Sang Sang' indicates the manufacturer. Although it is plain without any embellishment, it has rich historical significance for Hong Kong. (Courtesy of The K.L.Leung Collection of Export Art)

Export silver in Hong Kong featured a variety of categories, gorgeous forms and meticulous carving. It did not only shed light on Hong Kong's foreign trade and craft history but also allows an exploration on the local social history.(Courtesy of The K.L.Leung Collection of Export Art)

The silver goblet originally belonged to Scottish doctor Patrick Manson, who had worked in Taiwan and Xiamen before he arrived in Hong Kong n 1883 to practise medicine. He then served as chairman of the committee for the founding of the College of Medicine for Chinese, Hong Kong, and was appointed as the dean of the college, making great contributions to the medical profession. (Courtesy of the Hong Kong Museum of History)

The silver goblet was cast in Hong Kong with money donated by Dr. Sun and other college students, and was presented to Dr. Manson as souvenir before he left Hong Kong for Britain, thus it carries historical significance. (Courtesy of the Hong Kong Museum of History)

In the 1870s, the rickshaw was imported to Hong Kong from Japan. It was rapidly adopted because of its user-friendly, speedy and comfortable characteristics, Later, when cable cars and trams emerged, sedan chairs and rickshaws gradually declined. (Courtesy of the Muwen Tang Collection)

Junks were a significant maritime transport in Hong Kong's early days, as they connected Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Since the 1870s, ferry has been officially put into service. With the establishment of the Star Ferry Company and the Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry Company, junks were gradually replaced by steamboats. (Hong Kong Maritime Museum Collection)

He has been engaged in the export silver industry for decades and has produced silver wares and jewelleries for gold and silver shops. His clients included the Hong Kong Jockey Club, shipping enterprises and police stations.

Western cuisine generally include soups, appetizers, main courses, desserts and drinks. (Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection)

Courtesy of Dr. Yip Shing Yiu Collection.

(Courtesy of Chris Hall Collection)

European countries have different food cultures, and their dining etiquette are also varied, the most orthodox of which is French cuisine.

In the late Qing period, the Western table etiquette shipped into China challenged the traditional Chinese food culture. (Courtesy of the Cheng Xun Tang Collection)

Outside the palace, the arrival of foreign merchants and missionaries resulted in a craze for Western foods and British afternoon tea in different treaty ports.

Courtesy of Chris Hall Collection

Courtesy of the K.L.Leung Collection of Export Art.