Royal Thai Silver Bowl

Large Silver Bowl Engraved with the ‘Jor Por Ror’ Insignia for King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)

This large, and highly unusual silver pedestal bowl is extravagantly chased on the foot and all over the bowl with typically Thai foliate and floral scrolling interspersed with thepanom figures each wearing a broad necklace of petals and seated on a lotus. (The thepanom is a celestial being from Buddhist cosmology.) A central, round cartouche is engraved in Thai with the ‘Jor Por Ror’ insignia – the initials for King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) who reigned from 1868 to 1910. Two extremely well-cast elephant heads on either side of the bowl underscore this item’s royal origins – the elephant itself is a symbol of Thai royalty and kingship. The elephants have long, slender curved tusks and are beautifully rendered with clear facial features.

The bowl is heavy for its size; its construction is solid. The foot has been soldered on rather than being screwed on as is more common with Thai pedestal bowls.

Most probably this bowl was a presentational gift from the Court of Siam. The quality of the chasing work and the grade and quantity of silver used would have made this a highly suitable royal gift.

UK art market