
Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
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Sold for US$22,812.50 inc. premium
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Head of Sale, Specialist

International Director
This pair of large, lidded bowls patterned with popular Chinese motifs of flowering prunus trees, birds, and rock work illuminates the broader tapestry of foreign stylistic influences—beyond the British—incorporated by Burmese silversmiths, who worked for the multi-ethnic peoples of Myanmar.
Representing the largest ethnic minority in Myanmar, primarily living in the eastern Burmese Shan State, the Shan people are a Tai ethnic group whose ancestry is traced back to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in modern-day Southwest China. The pointed finials on the lids of both vessels, which likely would have been produced for a Shan patron, is a common feature in Shan material culture. The inclusion of a hawk capturing a smaller bird in flight depicted on each vessel would also be considered a distinct local variation on the overall Chinese motif. The containers derive their shape from rice storage jars, although their clean interior condition suggests they served an ornamental or limited ceremonial function.
Published:
Owens, Burmese Silver Art, pp.95, 97 & 192, nos.S5 & S6, fig.3.93.
Please note the correct estimate for this lot is $12,000-$16,000 USD.