Hung Chong and Co

[oel]

Hi,

Chinese Export Silver tobacco box retailers mark (double strike) of Hung Chong and Co. circa 1920
Could someone please tell me more about the meaning of the Chinese Characters.





Thanks for your cooperation.

Oel.

[davidross]

Hello Oel,

The mark is 其昌 (Ch'i Ch'ang / Qi Chang), presumably the name of the silversmith.

Have seen a Hung Chong teapot with the same maker's marks dated to the 1890s, so your tobacco box may be a decade or two older than 1920.

Surely you have already seen the splendid information on Hung Chong that Trev posted under Contributor's Notes, here is a link as a courtesy to readers of this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=24259" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers

David R

[oel]

Hello David,

Thank you very much. Yes now I do understand; the silversmith's name and Hung Chong ( c. 1860-1930) being the retailer, actually the box has been dated by the seller 1890 but the information provided by Trev made me doubt;
Possible later mark of Hung Chong & Co.
Again thanks for translating and confirming the date.

Best,

Oel

[davidross]

Hi Oel,

Glad to be of a little help.

The information currently on the site is probably correct, insofar as the H.C. mark looks more like Chinese export marks used in the 1860-1890 period while the Hung Chong & Co mark seems to date from 1890 onward. Let me emphasize that this is only an educated guess.

The excellent workmanship of the tobacco box is obvious even from the photograph, and would (in my opinion) also suggest the slightly earlier date (ca 1900), before the Chinese Republic.

All best,

David