A late 19^th century Chinese export silver comport or footed tazza, Canton circa 1880, marked Fu Long, retailed by On Hing of Canton

Qing dynasty. The base of domed circular form rising to a central stem formed as a Chinese dragon’s head with cut sheet frills heightened with engraving and wrought work horns, the tail rising up to a cut sheet junction formed as flames, all supporting a dished shaped circular section. The edge with decoration of panels of trailing Chinese dragon’ amidst clouds alternating with embossed and pierced peonies. The domed section of base with chased decoration of bamboo leaves. Marked to the edge with artisan mark 阜隆 (FU LONG), and retailer’s mark OH in an oval.

Height – 14.7 cm / 5.75 inches

Diameter – 22.5 cm / 8.8 inches

Weight – 441 grams / 14.18 ozt

Upon the mark ON HING which is sometimes found in conjunction with OH, Dr Adrien von Ferscht writes: On Hing is, in my opinion Yuan Xing 逺興 a Canton silversmith. Typically when a Chinese mark appears only in a Romanised format the surname "ON" is "YUAN". The Hokkien dialect form of "逺" is "OAN"; many Chinese silversmiths were ethnically Hokkien.