Two years ago, Mrs Moore’s elderly mother decided that some of her family’s CHINA TRADE heirlooms should come to our house to live. I love all the enamels, jade, ivory, china, and jewelry. We really were fortunate to find an amazing cabinet in California this winter to house some of the family objects. THE CHINA TRADE was a very important part of my wife’s family history with her ancestor Jeremiah Swett making the trip between Boston, London, and China on his trading vessel registered to the port authority of Boston more times than any other American trader to the Orient. We have his opium pipe, his wife’s cane handle, interesting jade and cinnabar bracelets, several pieces of jade, black lacquer, and wonderful enamels. I suppose most of the items were souvenirs in the 1860′s, but they are now enchanting objects from another era in history. Hanging in our home in London is a silk robe which Jeremiah Swett brought from China about 1875; the embroidery is absolutely amazing. It was during these trips that my wife’s family gathered fine porcelain from both China and from England. It was a period in history when the world began to open up and share with one another. I don’t know what we shared with China, but I know that China shared with us. London and Boston were thriving ports during the CHINA TRADE period. Our family has a very large collection of both English and Chinese fans which were collected during this period. They are exquisite. May I share my china cabinet in the Chinese Chippendale style which I happily found and my wife’s family Chinese treasures.
Thomas Moore email: TMooreSr@me.com Telephone: 801.791.9918
