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Sofia Suarez

I'm familiar with Chinese export silver, but not Japanese. What's the difference?

WHAT THE EXPERT SAYS

Lucille Vessa, of Honeychurch Antiques, says  the heyday of Japanese silver was from the 1850s to the 1930s.  'They began using silver when the feudal system was abolished in 1868  and the samurai were banned. The samurai sword-makers then became metal workers.

'Export silver is something of a misnomer,' says her husband, Glenn Vessa. 'Because most western countries had laws that required silver be assayed to determine its purity, you couldn't just send a shipload of silver, say, to England as you could a load  of porcelain.

'Also, the Emperor Meiji did much to change the way of life for the Japanese. He more or less decreed that the Japanese adopt western clothing and western-style rooms.  So, many Japanese  used silver pieces in their homes: tea sets, finger bowls and the like.' But only the wealthy could afford such refinements.

Export silver sometimes refers to the style.

ALL THAT GLISTERS

The Japanese had a special appreciation for silver. 'If you look at a Japanese  today, he's inevitably wearing a silver or white gold watch, bracelet or lighter,' says Lucille Vessa.  'They don't like yellow gold as much as the Chinese do.' Most Chinese silver items were made for foreigners.

Quality  is comparable. 'Good workmanship in Japan was on a par with good workmanship in China,' she says. However, unlike Chinese work, Japanese bowls were usually lined.  'That's why you see so many Chinese silver bowls with glass lining.'

Common motifs in Japanese silver include irises, fish, bamboo and other natural themes. Although there are exceptions,  Japanese  designs typically were less elaborate.

Lucille Vessa says punch bowls were popular, as were presentation items such as  boxes and trays.

Silver boxes were often lined with wood to act as humidors  for cigarettes and cigars. Other collectables  include card cases and notebooks with pages made of ivory.

TIPS FOR NEW COLLECTORS

Collecting concerns are the same as for silver,  she says. 'Look  for what's pleasing to the eye.' Because it's a small  market, there are few fakes. 'Prices range from $1,500 for small items to $145,000 for a large, late 19th-century punch bowl,' she says.

'Almost every piece in  sterling silver should be marked.  Japanese [pieces] were often signed with the workshop or company name in Japanese ideographs. Occasionally, they had the artisan's mark, too.'

Although the Japanese usually indicated if a piece was sterling silver, what that meant differed. 'The British standard for sterling silver is 92.5 per cent. Japanese silver was marked 90 per cent sterling silver.  The Chinese made about 82 to 95 per cent.'

Caring for antique Japanese pieces is  straightforward. 'Sterling won't turn black and should be minimally cleaned.  We  recommend cleaning with a  soft cloth or sponge and a silver polish.  Be  careful of silver polish with wadding. We use that only on highly decorated surfaces such as silver from Southeast Asia.'

RESOURCES

Collecting Japanese Antiques

by Alistair Seton ($265, Amazon.com)

Honeychurch Antiques,  G/F 29 Hollywood Rd, Central.

Inquiries: 2543 2433)

Send questions about collectables to sofiasuarez@yahoo.com



Silverware