Dora Tan
Head of Sale, Specialist
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PROPERTY FROM THE NOBLE SILVER COLLECTION
Lot 341
A SILVER OFFERING BOWL WITH SCENES FROM THE VIDHURA-PANDITA JATAKA BURMA (MYANMAR), CIRCA 1918
22 March 2022, 09:00 EDT
New YorkUS$18,000 - US$22,000
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Mark Rasmussen
International Director
A SILVER OFFERING BOWL WITH SCENES FROM THE VIDHURA-PANDITA JATAKA
BURMA (MYANMAR), CIRCA 1918
Inscribed underneath with the patron's name, "U Po Ni".
6 3/4 in. (17 cm) high; 13 3/8 in. (34 cm) diameter;
61 troy oz (1,893 grams) approximate weight
Inscribed underneath with the patron's name, "U Po Ni".
6 3/4 in. (17 cm) high; 13 3/8 in. (34 cm) diameter;
61 troy oz (1,893 grams) approximate weight
Footnotes
In the Vidhura-Pandita Jataka, the bodhisattva that will later become Gautama Buddha perfects the virtue of truthfulness (sacca), at once a keen perception of the true reality of things and an unwavering commitment to imparting this truth. Reborn as a renowned advisor to a virtuous king, the bodhisattva uses undivided speech throughout the story—even when it puts him in harm's way—thereby preventing disputes among rulers, offering amnesty, and ultimately saving the antagonists who initially conspired to kill him.
The silversmith has created an intricate panoramic narrative of the jataka's key plot moments. Punctuated by large trees, scenes include the dice game through which Punnaka (the jataka's chief antagonist) wins custody of the bodhisattva, Punnaka's attempt to kill the bodhisattva, and his subsequent conversion. The story comes to a resolution when the bodhisattva teaches the Dharma to the Naga people, and Punnaka is rewarded with the hand of the Naga princess. The horizontal bands framing the main narrative feature large acanthus leaves and ogre masks that likely represent Punnaka.
Aided by the clear rendering of architectural backdrops and a dynamic compositional flow, the bowl is an excellent example of how Burmese silver offering bowls served didactic purposes for lay Buddhists, while also functioning as vessels for generating karmic merit with donations. The inclusion of an audience to each scene is a common pictorial device in Buddhist art, which happens to be faithful to the literary format of the jatakas as a set of recollections told by Buddha to his followers. The bowl's bustling composition and figural depictions are very similar to those on an offering bowl with scenes of the Ramayana, also in the Noble Silver Collection, which is dated by inscription to 1918 (Owens, Burmese Silver Art, p.79, no.S106, fig.3.62).
Published:
Owens, Burmese Silver Art, pp.160-5, no.S126, figs. 4.80-8.