Repoussed Silver Lidded Box, Burma, circa 1890
Unusual Repoussed Silver Lidded Box
Burma
circa 1890
length: 26.7cm, height: 12cm, depth: 10.3cm, weight: 1,184g
This superb box of solid repoussed silver stands on four fine, zoomorphic feet. It has a slightly domed, hinged lid. It is repoussed in complex, intertwined, high relief on all sides and on the lid.
Various figures in Burmese dress are shown acting out scenes in Burmese lore within interlinked cartouches.
The reverse of the box is particularly noteworthy for it shows a colonial-style house of Burmese materials and with a gabled roof but probably intended for a local princely Burmese. It is the first time we have encountered such a motif in Burmese silver.
The box is in excellent condition. It is unusual for its form and motifs.
References
Fraser-Lu, S., Silverware of South-East Asia, Oxford University Press, 1989.
Fraser-Lu, S.,
Burmese Crafts: Past and Present, Oxford University Press, 1994.
Tilly, H.L.,
The Silverwork of Burma (with Photographs by P. Klier), The Superintendent, Government Printing, 1902.
Tilly, H.L.,
Modern Burmese Silverwork (with Photographs by P. Klier), The Superintendent, Government Printing, 1904.Provenance:
UK art market
Inventory no.: 4714
SOLD
