The Governor's Cup: A superb Chinese silver bowl by Wang Hing & Co, dated 1897, of rounded form and raised on three wrythen dragon feet, the openwork sides tooled and chased with multiple dragons in flight amid roiling clouds, a central flaming pearl cartouche inscribed 'Lagos (West Africa) Races 1897 Governor's Cup, Presented by His Excellency Lt.Col. H.E.McCallum R.E. C.M.G., won by E.Shepherd on Kitty', set on a carved hardwood stand applied with a further silver plaque inscribed as above, stamped WH with three-character mark, total height 25cm (17cm excluding stand), 29cm dia., 54oz (1520g) of silver. Provenance: Won by Egbert Shepherd (pictured standing far left) in 1897, thence by descent to the vendor Footnote: This stunning bowl was presented as a racing trophy to Egbert Shepherd, grandfather of the current vendor. The inscriptions on the bowl and stand reference Lt.Col. Henry Edward McCallum (1852-1919) who was Governor of Lagos between 1897 and 1899, this lot, therefore, being commissioned in his inaugural year. Since then it has remained in the Shepherd family and is presented here at auction for the first time. Compare also a near identical bowl by the same maker, Sotheby's Arts of Europe, 12 May 2015, lot 158.