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Burmese Silver Ewer with Narrative Reliefs, Mandalay or Rangoon, Burma, Southeast Asia, ca. 1880-1900.

REGISTERED ANTIQUITY – NON-EXPORTABLE ITEM.

 

Object Detail

 

This silver ewer was made in Burma (present day – Myanmar)— most likely in Mandalay or Rangoon — between 1880 and 1900 CE. It has an influence of the Konbaung dynasty. It belongs to a tradition of high-quality silverwork produced by skilled family workshops for royal courts, wealthy households, and important monasteries. Objects like this were not made for everyday use.

 

They were ceremonial vessels — religious offerings and gifts of prestige — used to hold water or scented liquid at shrines and festivals. The jug is tall and well-proportioned, rising from a broad stable base through a gently swelling body into a narrow neck and elegantly curved spout. The handle, cast separately using the lost-wax method and soldered onto the body, takes the form of a naga — a sacred serpent associated with water, rain, and the protection of the Buddha. It is not simply a grip but a guardian figure, watching over the stories carved around it.

 

The surface decoration is achieved through three techniques working together: repousse, where metal is pushed outward from behind to create raised figures; chasing, which refines details of faces, robes, and architecture; and engraving, which adds the finest lines and textures. Together they produce a surface of remarkable depth, where figures of princes, elephants, attendants, and pavilions seem almost to move as light shifts across the silver.

 

The scenes depict the Vessantara Jataka — the most beloved Buddhist birth story in Burma. It tells of Prince Vessantara, the Bodhisattva in a previous life, whose defining virtue was perfect generosity. He gave away his kingdom’s sacred white elephant, his possessions, his children, and his wife, demonstrating complete compassion and detachment from the material world. The carved scenes are set within a landscape of stylized trees, royal pavilions, and symbolic animals, creating an idealized moral world in which this timeless story unfolds.

 

Provenance

From a Private Collection in Mumbai, India.

 

Condition

Good Condition with minor wear.

 

Dimension

 

 

Literature Comparison.

 

1.Owens, David C. “Master Silversmiths (c. 1880–1910).” Excerpt from Burmese Silver Art. Asian Review of Books. August 8, 2020. Accessed June 12, 2026. https://asianreviewofbooks.com/master-silversmiths-c-1880-1910-excerpt-from-burmese-silver-art/.

 

2.Dragon Symbolism in Buddhist Art and Tradition: A Visual Guide.” Enlightenment Thangka. November 21, 2023. https://enlightenmentthangka.com/blogs/thangka/buddhist-dragon.

 

3.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Lost-Wax Process.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Last modified April 8, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/technology/lost-wax-process.

 

4.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Repoussé.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Accessed June 13, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/art/repousse.

 

5.Cowell, E. B., and W. H. D. Rouse, trans. “Ja 547: Vessantarajātaka.” SuttaCentral. Accessed June 14, 2026. https://suttacentral.net/ja547/en/cowell-rouse.

 

6.Vessantara Jataka (#547).” The Jataka Tales. Accessed June 13, 2026. https://thejatakatales.com/vessantara-jataka-547/.

 

7.The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Silver Ewer.” The Met Collection. Accessed June 12, 2026. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/205465.

 

8.Fraser-Lu, Sylvia. Silverware of South-East Asia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.

 

9.Tilly, H. L. Modern Burmese Silverwork. With photographs by P. Klier. Rangoon: The Superintendent, Government Printing, 1904.

 

 

 

 

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