Rare Presentation Chinese Export Silver Cigar Box. This silver box is inscribed "To Consul General Leo Bergholz from His Swiss Friends CANTON CHINA February 1922". Mr. Berholz was a US Consul General during an historic year in Canton China.

1922 was an exciting, dangerous, and difficult year in Canton, China. Sun Yat Sen was trying to solidify a 'democratic' government (after the fall of pseudo Empror Yuan Shi Kai) who had fought for Sun in the 1911 Chinese revolution. Sun Yat Sen's position was very 'delicate' in Canton where he was being beseiged by Warlords and assorted politicians anxious to usurp his position. The United States government was in favor of Sun Yat Sen. Due to the prior activities of Yuan Shi Kai and assorted Warlords an international arms embargo had been imposed on shipments of military arme to China. One wonders who Consul Berholz's swiss friends were, and what he might have done to merit this presentation of a fine silver box. The Swiss, well known as 'middlemen' in finance and the procurement of various things, may well have been helped in their relations with Sun Yat Sen by the American Consul. It would be an interesting subject for research.

The box is finely made of highly polished silver lined with wood for the storage of cigars. It is marked WK90 with an ideogram which may indicate Wa Kei.

A handsome and historical piece.

Please click on the photo above to see more photos of this box.

Dimensions: 8" x 5" x 2 1/2"
Price: $550.00