Colonial Burmese Silver Platter

Massive Repoussed Silver Platter

This is the largest colonial Burmese silver platter that we have seen, published or otherwise, and conceivably, is the largest such example ever made. More than half a metre across and weighing almost three-and-a-half kilograms of high-grade silver, the form is based on a English ‘plate’ that was displayed on large oak sideboards in the banqueting halls of guild halls, palaces and the like, which was designed to be seen from afar and to impress for its size and the subsequent assumed wealth and status of its owner.

The platter is decorated in high-relief repousse with a series of hunt scenes. Hunters in courtly Burmese dress are shown astride elephants, horses and on foot, amid trees and shrubs, all against a finely tooled background. A central panel shows two elephants with mahouts attacking and being attacked by tigers. One of the elephants has picked up a tiger by its trunk and is ready to throw it. Around this is a panel that shows vivid accounts of a Burmese man being mauled by a bear, a baboon attacking a lion, and a tiger attaching a deer with both being attacked by a large snake.

The wide outer rim shows many scenes of elephants, horses, boars, dogs, lions, rhinoceros, deer, and hunters. As far as we are aware, the depiction here of rhinoceros (in this case, two rhinoceros) is the only such depiction of these animals on Burmese colonial silver.

A small but later mark ‘925’ has been added to the plate, but otherwise there are no obvious maker’s, assay or control marks. The relief work on the platter is so high that the silversmith has pushed the silver out to almost breaking point and as a consequence there are small holes here and there which is commonly seen in high-relief Burmese silver. The surface is crisp and there is little wear from excessive polishing.