Now we see it making its way to the front of the catalog, and at last, in this case, it has taken over the sale. I feel a bit like a proud parent. China trade silver can be divided between early and late. Early pieces generally copy European forms and are often marked with the maker's initials and pseudo hallmarks. These later pieces are marked with ideograms, most of them the names of individual silversmiths or a group of silversmiths working in one shop.
Early wares bring a premium.
There were several pieces of Japanese export silver in the sale, which generally sold a tad higher than the Chinese silver. China trade paintings are popular with a growing group of collectors, some of them inspired by the presence of London dealer Martyn Gregory at the New York Winter Show over the last few years. Collectors were successful bidders on three China trade paintings, paying double high estimates. Sotheby's English furniture department seemed unaware of the China trade sale and included a few China trade items in their catalog for the January 22nd sale. Millie Manheim consigned a Chinese export mirror painting showing a gentleman, possibly a ship's captain, in the foreground and a three-masted ship in a harbor in the background.