A set of four early 19^th century Chinese Export silver dishes, Canton circa 1820 mark of Tu Hopp

China trade period. Each of dished circular form with a reeded rim, upon a collet foot. Each marked to the reverse with pseudo hallmarks (lion passant, Duty mark, Leopard’s head) and a T. (4)

Diameter – 14.2 cm / 5.5 inches

Weight – 635 grams / 20.42 ozt

Tu Hopp whose mark of a T which was previously unidentified (Crosby 1975) is listed by Kernan (1985) as “a rare maker who probably used the letter T as his mark. He is known from the ships’s manifest to have made a tea chest that was imported on the second voyage of the Empress of China in 1786. This puts him along the earliest known makers for the American market and, of course, in Canton.”.

A teapot stand with these marks was sold these rooms, 24 Aug 2020, lot 140 (£938 incl. prem)

A set of gilt and mother pearl fruit eaters bearing the mark T was sold these rooms, 23 Oct 2013, lot 109 (£1437.50 incl. prem)