Burmese Silver Figurative Bowl with Narrative Scenes

The bowl is repoussed in high relief with six narrative scenes most probably drawn from the Jataka stories, the stories of the past lives of the Buddha.

One scene shows a king with two ministers (they wear the tall, cylindrical hats of 19th century Burmese ministers) and a court official. Another shows a figure confronting a mythical lion known in Burmese as a chinthe.

The scenes are separated by elaborate pendant dividers which incorporate standing, feeding birds with outstretched wings surrounded by borders of interlocking foliage.

The lower border is broad and includes eleven peacock motifs beneath cusped arches and separated by luxuriant foliage tufts.

The upper border features in high-relief, a scrolling orchid motif (dha-zin-gwei).

The base is plain and unadorned.

Such bowls are based on the plain, black lacquer alms bowls used by Burmese monks. These bowls are one of the eight parikkharas or possessions allowed a monk. In turn, such bowls are based on a bowl that the Buddha himself is said to have used. But silver bowls such as the example here had no ceremonial or religious use; they are purely decorative.

This bowl is without repairs, splits or dents. It was sourced from within the UK and almost certainly has been in the UK since colonial times.