Cutshing

(circa 1790 - 1895)

Cutshing is the trading name of a company based in Canton famous for retailing luxury items in silver, ivory, jade as well as high quality filigree and enamel items.

Although we don’t know the name or the names of the craftsmen working for the firm, according to Chinese Export Silver expert Adrien Von Ferscht it seems likely to be the result of a partnership between the American trader John Perkins, Cutshing and Houqua, the most powerful merchant from Hong Kong.

The company produced a large number of high quality items, which indicates that there were several highly skilled artisans producing silver for it.

As the other early Chinese Export Silver retailers, Cutshing used to mark its items with pseudo-hallmarks, imitating the English hallmark system: the marks ‘CU’ and ‘CUT’ are nowadays unanimously considered to represent Cutshing.

Cutshing is responsible for some of the finest Georgian style silverware, comparable in design and proportions to the pieces produced in England by Paul Storr, but generally heavier.

The firm specialised also in filigree and enamel artworks and fans that were sought after by European royal families, the Russian Imperial court and Maharajahs.