Rare, Staggering Silver Chinese Filigree Card Case

The description, found below, will be familiar if you've perused our other card cases. If you haven't, please read on. However, if you have, simply scroll down to the paragraph break once you find yourself reading familiar material.

Calling card cases have a varied history... we know a great deal regarding their European and North American traditions. Asian traditions, however, are a great deal murkier. We can only assume that they would serve the same purpose, and the vast majority seem to date from an era where inter-continental trade has become more commonplace. In fact, their design and introduction seem to mirror their European counterparts almost exactly. That being said, I've come across several ivory and wooden examples that may or may not date from the 18th century, possibly even earlier, pre-dating European and North American examples by over 50 years. However, I urge you to take this last date with a grain of salt. I am obligated, by my sometimes debilitating need for meticulous detail, to disclose these possible dates to you. However, it is my earnest belief that the majority of calling card cases one may find would all date from the same approximate period - beginning near the start of the 19th century and extending to the mid-20th century. Now... for the known history of these often-remarkable cases and their often exceptional paper contents...

These diminutive cards were an essential accessory for the Regency or Victorian Lady and Gentleman. Many Victorian authors wrote about the tradition, but few put it as eloquently as John H. Young in 1881, in his “Our Deportment, Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most Refined Society:”
"To the unrefined and underbred, the visiting card is but a trifling bit of paper; but to the cultured disciple of social law, it conveys a subtle and unmistakable intelligence. Its texture, style of engraving, and even the hour of its leaving combine to place the stranger, whose name it bears, in a pleasant or a disagreeable attitude..."
These cards were printed in small batches and were customized to their owners. They varied from basic type with essential information only, to beautifully embellished examples, adorned with calligraphy and design suitable to the social standing of the issuer. The practice began in the 1820s, throughout Europe, Russia and North America, and survived for more than a century. The unwritten rules for leaving these unassuming pieces of paper were as varied and extensive as their written counterparts. For example, ‘a gentleman should carry cards loose in a convenient pocket; but a lady may use a card case. No matter how many members of the family you call upon, you send in but one card. Where servants are not kept, and you are met at the door by the lady herself, of course there is no use for a card. If you call upon a friend who has a visitor, send in but one card; but if they are not at home, leave a card for each.
‘A card may be made to serve the purpose of a call. It may be sent in an envelope or left in person. In the latter case, one corner should be turned down if for the lady of the house. Fold the card in the middle if you wish to indicate that the call is on several, or all of the members of the family. Leave a card for each guest, should any be visiting at the house.’
Most-importantly, however, lay the distinction between a calling/visiting card and a business card. The crude nature of commerce daren’t be mixed with the social pleasantries indicated by these calling cards. Business cards were left strictly by bill collectors or sales-people and would rarely be as ornamentally pleasant as their social counterparts.
The cases in which these cards were kept was equally as varied as the people they represented. Made from wood, copper, brass or precious metals, they were a valued and necessary accessory to the upwardly mobile member of Victorian society.
The practice persisted until the start of the Second World War, when business cards became the primary method of leaving personal details… the invention of the ball point pen in the 1940s made it simpler to simply add a note to the back of these cards, and calling cards slowly fell out of favour.
Nonetheless, these cases remained not only treasured family possessions, but desirable and often-collected pieces of a refined and bygone age.

As for our case, its history is quite a bit more cryptic... I was under the impression, when I came upon this stunning piece, that this case and the design were of European origin. I was sadly mistaken. I was unable to find any examples from European or North American sources. However, I did happen upon an antique example that almost exactly matched our piece... it's quite remarkable.
The shape and subject matter is a common and very sought-after example of antique Chinese calling card cases. Examples of these cases can be found to have been sold at auction for more than half a century and they continue to be highly prized pieces, to those who collect them. I have been unable to test the piece for myself, however, every example I can find (and they number in the dozens) are all silver pieces. In almost every case, they lack any identifying marks. This is not uncommon for antique Chinese silver. Only silver pieces that were intended for export would ever have these marks placed on them. Anything that was to remain in the country simply didn't need them. What I can tell you is that this design originates from a region named Canton, well-known and respected for their silver production in the 19th century. This design was very popular, but not very long-lasting. The nature of the filigree meant that they were exceedingly fragile pieces, and given their portable nature, most pieces would break and find themselves melted down and re-used for their base metals.
I cannot, in good conscience, state categorically that this piece is 100% pure silver, simply because it lacks identifying marks... I have to, as a practice of good ethics, concede that. However, it is my belief that it is silver for one simple reason: I have researched this design and similar examples extensively. I am familiar with the source of this piece and trust, completely, the age and authenticity of this item as well as its provenance. Throughout the last several weeks, during emails, phone calls and research readings, I have yet to come across an example of our piece or similar designs that is NOT silver (the count of similar examples stands at nearly two dozen). I have reflected this uncertainty in the price, however, and urge you, should you have any further information on this piece or design, to reach out to me.

In terms of condition, it is not perfect... I have left a great deal of the patina on the piece simply because I adore the character that the deep black and grey give to the design. The floral pattern, different on either side, is simply staggering. I am at a loss as to how such intricate patterns and design can be created so perfectly and am in awe at the beauty of this case. There is, however, one significant blemish... Under the lid, you can see a small piece of the 'sleeve' corner of the main body has been lost. This is impossible to see unless one removes the lid and examines the case, closely (you can see it if you cycle between the 4th and 5th photo of the listing... near the top). It is sad, but given that the piece is almost 150 years old, this is not unexpected. Otherwise, there is some slight bending to the filigree, but the frame is in excellent condition. One can see the imperfection to the hand-made piece and the slight variance of similitude from one edge to the opposite side, but I find this just adds to the absolute stunning nature of this remarkable piece.
The chain is complete and perfect, measuring almost 15 cm in length. The case measures 9.5cm in height by just over 6cm in width and 1 cm in thickness and weighs just over 50 grams. It's not perfect, but my goodness, it is absolutely stunning.

As always, should you have any questions or comments, I always welcome them and respond almost immediately to all queries.
Thank you for visiting C&K!