Bidspirit auction | Chinese Export Silver Dragon Cordial

Chinese Export Silver Dragon Cordial Cup, Tsingtau, China, 1945 - A Chinese export silver cordial cup featuring a bowl with high-relief repousse decoration of a four-clawed dragon chasing a flaming pearl among stylized clouds. The cup is supported by a slender stem with a central knop, resting on a circular, stepped base. The interior of the bowl has a vermeil gold-wash finish. On the outer rim of the base are three stamped marks in rectangular frames. From left to right: an impressed mark reading 足銀, an impressed mark reading 興和, and a third impressed mark containing a single character, possibly 德. An engraved inscription on the upper surface of the base rim reads TSINGTAU, CHINA 1945. Weight: 1.517 ozt. The cup exhibits heavy, dark tarnish and a thick patina across all exterior silver surfaces (photo 1). The rim of the cup shows minor irregularities and a small bend visible along the edge (photo 8). There are scattered light surface scratches consistent with age and use (photo 2). The interior gold-wash remains largely intact with some areas of light thinning and wear (photo 9).