Wang Hing & Co (1854-1941)
Wang Hing & Co, based at Zetland House, 10 Queen’s Road, Hong Kong, as well as 1 Sai Hing Street, Canton, and Shanghai, operated from 1854 to 1941. The company was likely the largest producer of Chinese Export Silver and one of the first to establish a significant retail emporium offering a wide range of luxury goods. Founded shortly after the 1842 Treaty of Nanking by the Lo family from Xiguan, near Shameen Island in Canton, where the 13 Hongs (Chinese merchant establishments) had been based, the company grew steadily. The Lo family was heavily involved in the design and quality control of every silver item produced for the store.
Close up a dragon on a Chinese Export Silver Basket Wang Hing available at Jacksons Antique
In the late 1860s, Lo Kit Ping, the eldest son, took over leadership. By the early 1920s, a purpose-built flagship store was opened on Queen’s Road, Hong Kong, run by Lo Hung Tong. The flagship emporium quickly gained a reputation as the go-to destination for custom-made trophies and commemorative items, which became popular among the growing men’s and sporting clubs in Hong Kong.