A silver jug that gifted by Chinese businessmen to French Consul Louis Reynaud during 1921-1923.

The body of the cup is decorated with plum blossom branches and tree trunks, while
the handle is shaped like a bamboo tube. The plum tree's branches extend all the way
to the handle. Silverware themed with plum blossoms and bamboo is one of the most
characteristic styles of the late Qing dynasty and the Republican period.
The body of the cup is made from relatively thick silver sheets, while the plum
blossom decorations are cratfed using solid silver carving techniques and then
soldered onto the body.
The cup is in good condition, showing black patina and signs of use that have developed over time. The base bears the maker’s stamp.


The inscripon on the cup reads in Chinese: “大法國駐北海領事官 雷樂大人惠存, English: To
the esteemed Mr. Lei Le, Consul of the Great France in Beihai
— respectfully presented by Yang Junsheng and Yang
Yunxian.”
According to publicly available records, the name "雷樂"
refers to Louis Reynaud (1884–1943), the French Consul
General in China. He served as Consul General in Beihai,
Guangxi, between 1921 and 1923, which confirms that the
cup was gifted to him during this period.

 

Absolutely Scrumptious...what a fine sliver of history, an' a magnificent cup...Thank you!

 

call me sceptical , but I don't see how Lei Li translates to Louis Reynaud ....

Louis Reynaud was appointed French Consul-General in Hong Kong on January 5, 1940. He was consistently anti-Axis and after the Fall of France identified with the Free French - he was one of the few diplomats who managed to stay in post without swearing loyalty to the Vichy regime.

also.... General , is a pretty known word in Chinese , so I'd suspect it to be present ..
plus..... some inscribed words on a creamer.... does not confirm anything , nor does it translate into solid provenance of this item without knowing where it came from..

It's not a cup or a jug and would likely have been part of a set , rather than a stand alone piece....

so , I'm not enticed to jump on the bandwagon of historic significance.... not just yet.

 

I have multiple sources can proof that Louis Reynaud's Chinese name is "路易雷乐" or in Tradition Chinese "路易雷樂". He was appointed as French General Consul in Beihai, Guangxi from 1921-1923, which is based on the public record.

This is about Louis Reynaud from Chinese website Baidupedia: https://baike.baidu.com/item/路易·雷乐/66197755

I looked into gift-giving traditions during the Republican era in China. Typically, people did not give multiple items to one person. In most cases, it was a single item accompanied by a dedication or inscription.

I bought this cup earlier this year at an antique shop in Paris.

 

That added information does seem to point in the direction of your claim....

 

No matter what you say, there’s only one French consul in China whose Chinese name was “雷樂/雷乐” — and that’s Louis Reynaud, and some publications can prove it, especially the Manchuko Harbin archives. He’s the only Louis Reynaud ever listed among the consuls who served in Beihai. You can barely find any information about him online in China. So if someone faked this, did they time-travel to the past to dig up these details just to pull it off? That’s practically impossible. Who would go to such lengths to fake something about a virtually unknown diplomat? Plus, the patina, craftsmanship, and patterns on this quilt are all very typical of the late Qing period. In fact, plum blossoms and bamboo carvings are classic features of silverware from that era.

 

welcome to the forum @Eurasian Warrior That is a beautiful piece, thank-you for sharing it and the history of it

 

Thanks!

 

It is lovely. I just saw this today, @Eurasian Warrior .

 

I saw the post about Louis Reynaud and thought you might be interested in the following group.

My wife and I lived in Beihai (Pakhoi) from 2013 to 2024 and I have extensively researched its Treaty Period history.

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14490120
- My post for Week #25 will mention Louis Reynaud.

 

No thank you , this site keeps me busy enuf !!