Captain John Whittle’s Tea Tray

An early 20th century Chinese white metal two handled rectangular tea tray, by Luen Wo of Shanghai, with engraved presentation inscription, ‘Presented to Captain John Whittle by the undersigned China Navigation Cos. Chinese Pilots on his retirement from China, April, 1911’. Whittle had been a Captain with Swire’s China Navigation since at least the 1880s, most notably commanding the well known China coastal passenger and cargo steamer Tamsui.