ANTIQUE 20thC BURMESE REPOUSSÉ SOLID SILVER "JATAKA TALES" BOWL, MG. SHWE YON BROS c.1905
Antique 20th Century Burmese (Myanmar) solid silver bowl in circular form, finely chased and repousséd with detailed scenes depicting a rare compilation of Jataka tales. Consisting of hundreds of stories about the previous lives of Siddhartha Gautama, the Jataka tales are one of the most popular forms of Buddhist literature, especially among Theravada laity.
Their entertaining plots typically involve Gautama Buddha recounting a story from one of his past lives as a human or an animal, demonstrating a particular virtue he gradually perfected on his spiritual progression towards Buddhahood.
Reference Number: DO11314
Antique 20th Century Burmese (Myanmar) solid silver bowl in circular form, finely chased and repousséd with detailed scenes depicting a rare compilation of Jataka tales. Consisting of hundreds of stories about the previous lives of Siddhartha Gautama, the Jataka tales are one of the most popular forms of Buddhist literature, especially among Theravada laity.
Their entertaining plots typically involve Gautama Buddha recounting a story from one of his past lives as a human or an animal, demonstrating a particular virtue he gradually perfected on his spiritual progression towards Buddhahood.
Reference Number: DO11314
Antique 20th Century Burmese (Myanmar) solid silver bowl in circular form, finely chased and repousséd with detailed scenes depicting a rare compilation of Jataka tales. Consisting of hundreds of stories about the previous lives of Siddhartha Gautama, the Jataka tales are one of the most popular forms of Buddhist literature, especially among Theravada laity.
Their entertaining plots typically involve Gautama Buddha recounting a story from one of his past lives as a human or an animal, demonstrating a particular virtue he gradually perfected on his spiritual progression towards Buddhahood.
Reference Number: DO11314
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
In deeply Buddhist Burma (Myanmar), where for centuries Theravada Buddhism has been the only form of Buddhism informing local cultures, the jatakas permeate tradition and remain essential elements of contemporary society. Their edifying moral lessons are central to Burmese thinking and have inspired artistic projects in various mediums for centuries. The jatakas are the most common subject depicted by the Burmese silversmiths during the Burmese Silver Age (c.1850–1930), giving rise to intricate vignettes containing poignant didactic instruction for everyday life.
The underside is engraved with the silversmith's insignia of a seated deer and mark: "Mg. Shwe Yon Bros Gold & Silversmith Rangoon". Acid tested, showing a 900+ silver standard.
The preeminent silversmith Maung Shwe Yon had three sons—Maung Shwe Bin, Maung Thu Hlaing, and Maung Yin Maung—who were all very talented. Together with their father, they formed Maung Shwe Yon & Sons based in Rangoon (Yangon), and around the time of his death in c.1889, they changed the company name to Mg. Shwe Yon Bros. By the time the present bowl was made in 1899, the company was a top-tier vendor, employing other exceptional goldsmiths and silversmiths. This exquisite bowl exemplifies the superior quality of the Mg. Shwe Yon Bros enterprise. Unfortunately, no corporate records or catalogues from Mg. Shwe Yon Bros are known to exist, although there may be traces of the company's history buried deep in British colonial or Burmese archives that have yet to be found.
This item has been published – Burmese Silver Art: Masterpieces Illuminating Buddhist, Hindu and Mythological Stories of Purpose and Wisdom, 2020, p.66, no.S139, fig.3.43.
Bonhams, The Noble Silver Collection: Treasures from the Burmese Silver Age, 14 – 24 March 2022, New York, lot 906.
CONDITION
In Great Condition - Wear expected with age. Please refer to photographs.
SIZE
Height: 8.5 cm // 3.35 inches
Diameter: 14 cm // 5.51 inches
Weight: 315 grams // 10.13 ozt