{"id":5361373839510,"title":"Antique Malay Silver Lidded Water Container, Malaysia – 19th Century","handle":"antique-malay-silver-lidded-water-container-batil-bertudong-malaysia-19th-century","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis very fine and richly ornamented Malay silver water container has a pull off cover and has been made from a high grade of silver.  The craftsmanship is extremely good and the vessel has been very well made by an experienced silversmith; the quality of the chasing being particularly fine.  These types of containers are known as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBatil Bertudong\u003c\/em\u003e.  This example is believed to have come from the Lower Perak region and date to the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree examples of these vessels, which he calls\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBatil Bertutop,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eare illustrated in Roth’s book, 'Oriental Silverwork Malay and Chinese', on pages 62-69.   In the examples illustrated, the ornamentation of the cover and the container are very different from each other and this example is the same. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe container has been chased with a small circular pattern to the underside of the base which resembles a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ecap mohor\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eseal with the central part left blank or vacant to take an inscription.  To the side of the bowl, there is a repeating chased border of square-shaped\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003esegi belimbing,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eor starfruit, ornamentation under a geometric border.  Below this is a border of complex zig-zag \u003cem\u003ebiku gunungan\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emountain ranges design has been overlaid with stylised foliate elements and alternating lengths of punched drops below.  Looking at this border is confusing; looked at in one way and these could be pendant bell-shaped flowers but looked at in another way, faces and possibly butterflies, emerge.  This same uncertainty and ambiguity occurs when you look at the chasing to the ribs; is it just a pattern or has each rib been adorned with a fish?  This intriguing visual play is reminiscent of the art of M. C. Escher.  It is a testament to the artist’s skill and to his sense of fun, perhaps his way of creating interest and forming a connection with anyone admiring or using the bowl he made, focusing their attention on his creation as they seek to make sense of what they are looking at.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe high relief ornamentation to the cover is, as was usual, entirely different.  This contrasts with the ornamentation of the container below. The distinctive ribs, which taper to a point at the top and the bottom, divide the two fields of ornament.  To the centre of the top is a ring handle to lift the lid, surrounded by high relief concentric bands of repousse and chased ornamentation to the start of the ribbed mid-section.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis bowl would have been used to contain clean boiled water or sweetmeats and they are still used for this purpose on special traditional occasions.  To offer the contents to another person, the covered bowl would have been placed on a handkerchief spread over the palm of the hand of the person offering, who would then offer the bowl to the other party.  The person accepting would remove the lid and, if it contained water, there would be a small bowl or cup floating on the surface, which they would take, fill and drink from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  North American art market\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e Height 14 cms, Width 16 cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWeight:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e            444 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH Ling Roth,’ Oriental Silverwork Malay and Chinese’, Pages 62-69., Truslove \u0026amp; Hanson Ltd, London 1910\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaimy Che-Ross, Malay Silverware, Arts of Asia, Volume 42, Issue 1, January-February 2012, pages 68-83\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-06-21T12:29:59+01:00","created_at":"2020-06-21T13:28:19+01:00","vendor":"Joseph Cohen Antiques","type":"Water Container","tags":["Malay And Indonesian Silver"],"price":180000,"price_min":180000,"price_max":180000,"available":false,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":34824902377622,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default Title","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"JC-WATE-06812","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":false,"name":"Antique Malay Silver Lidded Water Container, Malaysia – 19th Century","public_title":null,"options":["Default Title"],"price":180000,"weight":444,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-Batil-Bertudong-Malaysia-19th-Century.jpg?v=1592744752","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-Malay.jpg?v=1592744791","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-Batil.jpg?v=1592744841","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-19th-Century.jpg?v=1592744871","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-Malaysia-19th-Century.jpg?v=1592744924","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/19th-Century-Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-Malaysia.jpg?v=1592744944","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/19th-Century-Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container.jpg?v=1592745010","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/19th-Century-Antique-Lidded-Water-Container-Malay-Silver.jpg?v=1592745037","\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container.jpg?v=1592745068"],"featured_image":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container-Batil-Bertudong-Malaysia-19th-Century.jpg?v=1592744752","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Antique 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Container","id":9660714582166,"position":9,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":768,"width":768,"src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container.jpg?v=1592745068"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":768,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Antique-Malay-Silver-Lidded-Water-Container.jpg?v=1592745068","width":768}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThis very fine and richly ornamented Malay silver water container has a pull off cover and has been made from a high grade of silver.  The craftsmanship is extremely good and the vessel has been very well made by an experienced silversmith; the quality of the chasing being particularly fine.  These types of containers are known as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBatil Bertudong\u003c\/em\u003e.  This example is believed to have come from the Lower Perak region and date to the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree examples of these vessels, which he calls\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBatil Bertutop,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eare illustrated in Roth’s book, 'Oriental Silverwork Malay and Chinese', on pages 62-69.   In the examples illustrated, the ornamentation of the cover and the container are very different from each other and this example is the same. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe container has been chased with a small circular pattern to the underside of the base which resembles a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ecap mohor\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eseal with the central part left blank or vacant to take an inscription.  To the side of the bowl, there is a repeating chased border of square-shaped\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003esegi belimbing,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eor starfruit, ornamentation under a geometric border.  Below this is a border of complex zig-zag \u003cem\u003ebiku gunungan\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emountain ranges design has been overlaid with stylised foliate elements and alternating lengths of punched drops below.  Looking at this border is confusing; looked at in one way and these could be pendant bell-shaped flowers but looked at in another way, faces and possibly butterflies, emerge.  This same uncertainty and ambiguity occurs when you look at the chasing to the ribs; is it just a pattern or has each rib been adorned with a fish?  This intriguing visual play is reminiscent of the art of M. C. Escher.  It is a testament to the artist’s skill and to his sense of fun, perhaps his way of creating interest and forming a connection with anyone admiring or using the bowl he made, focusing their attention on his creation as they seek to make sense of what they are looking at.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe high relief ornamentation to the cover is, as was usual, entirely different.  This contrasts with the ornamentation of the container below. The distinctive ribs, which taper to a point at the top and the bottom, divide the two fields of ornament.  To the centre of the top is a ring handle to lift the lid, surrounded by high relief concentric bands of repousse and chased ornamentation to the start of the ribbed mid-section.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis bowl would have been used to contain clean boiled water or sweetmeats and they are still used for this purpose on special traditional occasions.  To offer the contents to another person, the covered bowl would have been placed on a handkerchief spread over the palm of the hand of the person offering, who would then offer the bowl to the other party.  The person accepting would remove the lid and, if it contained water, there would be a small bowl or cup floating on the surface, which they would take, fill and drink from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e  North American art market\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e Height 14 cms, Width 16 cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWeight:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e            444 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH Ling Roth,’ Oriental Silverwork Malay and Chinese’, Pages 62-69., Truslove \u0026amp; Hanson Ltd, London 1910\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaimy Che-Ross, Malay Silverware, Arts of Asia, Volume 42, Issue 1, January-February 2012, pages 68-83\u003c\/p\u003e"}