{"product_id":"near-antique-12-piece-set-of-chinese-export-silver-fish-eaters-shanghai-municipal-police-supt-lovells-estate","title":"Near antique 12 piece set of Chinese export silver fish eaters, Shanghai Municipal Police Supt. Lovell's estate","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA beautiful near antique 12 piece set of Chinese export silver fish eaters, presented to Supt. Lovell upon his retirement in 1939 by members of the Shanghai Homing Pigeon Club of which he was a founding member. With marks and original retailer’s case for Nanking Store, a silver retailer based on 444 Szechuen Road, Shanghai, and was active 1895 to 1940. Monogrammed “L” to each handle. Silver plaque to top of case commemorating Supt. Lovell’s retirement and move to Australia, with inscription “Presented to J.F. Lovell with Best Wishes from Members of the Shanghai Homing Pigeon Club on the 10th October 1939”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWith marks for Nanking Store, a silver retailer based on 444 Szechuen Road, Shanghai, and was active 1895 to 1940. With silver handles and blades, these are of beautiful quality with planished details and bamboo motifs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSupt. James Franklin Lovell (1892-1964) served in the Shanghai Municipal Police Force from 1914 to 1939. His remarkable life and career spanned the tumultuous years of post-Republic China and the Warlord Period, experiencing the heady decadence of the roaring 20s in Shanghai as well as the threat of Japanese aggression, Communist sentiment on the rise and the seething underbelly of Shanghai society. In particular from 1935 to 1939, Supt. Lovell was in charge of the Reserve Unit, the world’s first modern SWAT team. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHe oversaw incidents such as numerous strikes in Japanese owned cotton mills in Shanghai (1936), the\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eKung Yik Cotton Mill Riot (1937) and several terrorist attacks\/assassination attempts by various secret societies, such as that by the Yellow Way Society in 1938. All this on top of the usual state of affairs in 1930s Shanghai- the ongoing civil war, struggles against the deeply entrenched triads, secret societies as well as foreign espionage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAsides from police work, Mr. Lovell’s hobbies included pigeon racing, which enjoys a long history in China. Whilst pigeon fancying was a hobby amongst Chinese literati dating to the Ming Dynasty, the first racing pigeon club was built by Westerners in Shanghai, 1929- the Shanghai Homing Pigeon Club, of which Mr. Lovell was one of the founders. Some of the best Chinese pigeon breeds at the time, including the Shanghai Sion, was bred by pigeon enthusiasts at the club.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAll this and more will be explored in-depth in our ongoing Scandalous Silver editorial in the Antiques to Vintage Magazine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003ePrice marked at $2000 AUD the set.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eCase Measurements: 35cm by 23.5cm, 4.5cm height. Fish eaters: 773.2grams (incl. weighted handles). Forks 19cm length, Knives 20.5cm length. 12 pieces total, to serve 6.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eExcellent near antique condition, with light wear overall commensurate with age. Marks crisp and clear. Some wear to case as pictured, one clasp missing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"cacheantiquessydney","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42861870710882,"sku":null,"price":1456.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0556\/5693\/9618\/files\/5B0F31E9-BF12-445E-A635-840660E81519.jpg?v=1778116712","url":"https:\/\/cacheantiques.com\/en-us\/products\/near-antique-12-piece-set-of-chinese-export-silver-fish-eaters-shanghai-municipal-police-supt-lovells-estate","provider":"cacheantiquessydney","version":"1.0","type":"link"}