ARGENTUM — THE LEOPARD’S HEAD
Sold to a private collector
Fine China Trade Silver Jug
Canton, China, circa 1854
Marked CUT
H. 9-1/2", 35 troy ounces
Courtesy of Argentum– The Leopard’s Head
This exceptional jug was purchased in Canton, China, in 1854, by New York merchant Theodore Frelinghausen Lewis, who was traveling on the clipper ship, The N. B. Palmer. Cutching, the maker, specialized in wares intended for the American market, marking his silver with the initials CUT and with pseudo-English hallmarks that would have signified to his customers a guarantee of quality. This jug loosely copies an American Federal form, but the prunus and dragon decoration is purely Chinese. After many years of neglect, mid-nineteenth century Chinese export silver is increasingly receiving the attention of collectors and scholars.
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