{"id":5515109990550,"title":"Antique Sri Lankan Silver Figural Tray, Kandy, Sri Lanka Ceylon - Circa 1890","handle":"antique-sri-lankan-silver-figural-tray-kandy-sri-lanka-ceylon-c-1890","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis spectacular antique Sri Lankan silver figural tray is of oval shape and generous size.  Worked in repousse and chased techniques, it is an excellent example of silver ornamented in the rich Kandyan tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tray has been lavishly ornamented.  The central roundel is encircled by lotus petals.  The roundel depicts four \u003cem\u003ehamsa\u003c\/em\u003e birds (sometimes described as swans and sometimes as geese) with their bodies entwined.  This image is painted to the wall of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.  The way in which the birds' necks are arranged forms the ancient Hindu \u003cem\u003esu asti\u003c\/em\u003e symbol, commonly referred to as a swastika.  This is \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cu\u003enot\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e the same as the fascist symbol also known as the \u003cem\u003ehakenkreuz\u003c\/em\u003e, which is a mirror image of the Indian symbol, with the ‘sails’ travelling in the reverse direction. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the Indian tradition, the swastika symbol is a supreme expression of auspicious wishes which combines good luck, good health, success in life and prosperity.  Here, the potency of these wishes has been doubled, as two versions of the swastika have been formed at the centre.  The first has been constructed from the positioning of the birds’ necks and heads and the second from the positioning of their bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe arrangement of interwoven birds is believed to derive from the \u003cem\u003ehansa puttuwa \u003c\/em\u003edesign, which features two \u003cem\u003ehamsa\u003c\/em\u003e with necks entwined who gaze into each other’s eyes.  It is a traditional Sri Lankan symbol which can be found on various ancient carvings and paintings on the island including stone reliefs in the \u003cem\u003eSri Dalada Maligawa\u003c\/em\u003e. (The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) which is within the former Royal Palace Complex in Kandy and houses the relic of the Buddha’s tooth.  Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is now a World Heritage site.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the cremation of Gautama Buddha, one tooth was recovered from the ashes and in the early years of the fourth century, this was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamali, who hid the relic in the ornament in her hair.  The safekeeping of this precious relic was the responsibility of the monarch and over the years it validated, and became synonymous with, the monarch’s authority to rule.  Hence, the temples which held it, were close to the monarch and erected in secure positions within the palace complexes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe\u003cem\u003e hansa puttuwa \u003c\/em\u003esymbol is used to illustrate the elegance and beauty of a woman and the strength and masculinity of a man.  It is a prevalent motif at Sinhala Buddhist weddings, where it can be found on the dais, backdrops, table coverings etc. and it is also used as a motif in jewellery, particularly in the necklaces of Buddhist Kandyan brides, who frequently wear a silver or gold necklace with the \u003cem\u003ehansa puttuwa. \u003c\/em\u003eThe symbolism indicates that the tray was very likely commissioned as a wedding present or marriage gift. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRadiating out from the central medallion and replicated at each quadrant is a female figure with a distinctive looped hairstyle and, what appears to be, a high ornament in her hair.  This figure is thought to represent Princess Hemamali, who brought the Buddha’s tooth to Sri Lanka.  Wall paintings of her and her husband can be seen in The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.  Alternatively, the many ancient wall paintings of women in the caves of Sigirya, about 90 kms from Kandy, may have provided the artistic inspiration for the female figure which could also be interpreted as an \u003cem\u003eapsara\u003c\/em\u003e. The Sigirya paintings date from the 5\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century.  About twenty paintings of female figures can be seen there today but historians believe that there were about five hundred originally.  As on this tray, only the top halves of their bodies have been depicted. Sigirya is also a World Heritage site.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurrounding the female figures and stretching out across the flat part of the tray is a luxuriant jungle of scrolling vines, foliage and flowers which are derived from Sri Lanka’s indigenous flora.  There are exotic birds within this tracery and twelve animal figures including Singhas (mythological lions), stags and elephants. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA repeating floral and foliate border around the perimeter of the field is the first of three similar borders.  The second, slightly larger and more complex runs around the side, separated from the border to the rim by a narrow petal border.  To the rim, there is a larger scale, more scrolling and complex floral and foliate border which is completed by a narrow rope border to the outer edge. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance:-  \u003c\/em\u003eEuropean Antiques Trade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions:-  \u003c\/em\u003eHeight 1.6 cms;  Width 47.5  cms  Depth  37.3  cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWeight:-  \u003c\/em\u003e       1330 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParanavitana, Sinhalese Art and Culture, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 98, No. 4822 (2nd June 1950), pp. 588-605 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA K Coomaraswamy, The Arts and Crafts on India and Ceylon, T N Foulis, London 1913\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA K Coomaraswamy, Medieval Sinhalese Art, Literary Licencing LLC 2011\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2020-09-03T11:52:07+01:00","created_at":"2020-07-23T10:18:08+01:00","vendor":"Joseph Cohen Antiques","type":"Figural Tray","tags":["Sold Archive"],"price":0,"price_min":0,"price_max":0,"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":35373135265942,"title":"Default 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Antique-Sri-Lankan-Silverware.jpg?v=1599130314"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1200,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/The-Charm-Of-Antique-Sri-Lankan-Silverware.jpg?v=1599130314","width":1200}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThis spectacular antique Sri Lankan silver figural tray is of oval shape and generous size.  Worked in repousse and chased techniques, it is an excellent example of silver ornamented in the rich Kandyan tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tray has been lavishly ornamented.  The central roundel is encircled by lotus petals.  The roundel depicts four \u003cem\u003ehamsa\u003c\/em\u003e birds (sometimes described as swans and sometimes as geese) with their bodies entwined.  This image is painted to the wall of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.  The way in which the birds' necks are arranged forms the ancient Hindu \u003cem\u003esu asti\u003c\/em\u003e symbol, commonly referred to as a swastika.  This is \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cu\u003enot\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e the same as the fascist symbol also known as the \u003cem\u003ehakenkreuz\u003c\/em\u003e, which is a mirror image of the Indian symbol, with the ‘sails’ travelling in the reverse direction. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the Indian tradition, the swastika symbol is a supreme expression of auspicious wishes which combines good luck, good health, success in life and prosperity.  Here, the potency of these wishes has been doubled, as two versions of the swastika have been formed at the centre.  The first has been constructed from the positioning of the birds’ necks and heads and the second from the positioning of their bodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe arrangement of interwoven birds is believed to derive from the \u003cem\u003ehansa puttuwa \u003c\/em\u003edesign, which features two \u003cem\u003ehamsa\u003c\/em\u003e with necks entwined who gaze into each other’s eyes.  It is a traditional Sri Lankan symbol which can be found on various ancient carvings and paintings on the island including stone reliefs in the \u003cem\u003eSri Dalada Maligawa\u003c\/em\u003e. (The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) which is within the former Royal Palace Complex in Kandy and houses the relic of the Buddha’s tooth.  Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is now a World Heritage site.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the cremation of Gautama Buddha, one tooth was recovered from the ashes and in the early years of the fourth century, this was brought to Sri Lanka by Princess Hemamali, who hid the relic in the ornament in her hair.  The safekeeping of this precious relic was the responsibility of the monarch and over the years it validated, and became synonymous with, the monarch’s authority to rule.  Hence, the temples which held it, were close to the monarch and erected in secure positions within the palace complexes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe\u003cem\u003e hansa puttuwa \u003c\/em\u003esymbol is used to illustrate the elegance and beauty of a woman and the strength and masculinity of a man.  It is a prevalent motif at Sinhala Buddhist weddings, where it can be found on the dais, backdrops, table coverings etc. and it is also used as a motif in jewellery, particularly in the necklaces of Buddhist Kandyan brides, who frequently wear a silver or gold necklace with the \u003cem\u003ehansa puttuwa. \u003c\/em\u003eThe symbolism indicates that the tray was very likely commissioned as a wedding present or marriage gift. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRadiating out from the central medallion and replicated at each quadrant is a female figure with a distinctive looped hairstyle and, what appears to be, a high ornament in her hair.  This figure is thought to represent Princess Hemamali, who brought the Buddha’s tooth to Sri Lanka.  Wall paintings of her and her husband can be seen in The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy.  Alternatively, the many ancient wall paintings of women in the caves of Sigirya, about 90 kms from Kandy, may have provided the artistic inspiration for the female figure which could also be interpreted as an \u003cem\u003eapsara\u003c\/em\u003e. The Sigirya paintings date from the 5\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century.  About twenty paintings of female figures can be seen there today but historians believe that there were about five hundred originally.  As on this tray, only the top halves of their bodies have been depicted. Sigirya is also a World Heritage site.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurrounding the female figures and stretching out across the flat part of the tray is a luxuriant jungle of scrolling vines, foliage and flowers which are derived from Sri Lanka’s indigenous flora.  There are exotic birds within this tracery and twelve animal figures including Singhas (mythological lions), stags and elephants. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA repeating floral and foliate border around the perimeter of the field is the first of three similar borders.  The second, slightly larger and more complex runs around the side, separated from the border to the rim by a narrow petal border.  To the rim, there is a larger scale, more scrolling and complex floral and foliate border which is completed by a narrow rope border to the outer edge. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance:-  \u003c\/em\u003eEuropean Antiques Trade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions:-  \u003c\/em\u003eHeight 1.6 cms;  Width 47.5  cms  Depth  37.3  cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWeight:-  \u003c\/em\u003e       1330 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParanavitana, Sinhalese Art and Culture, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 98, No. 4822 (2nd June 1950), pp. 588-605 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA K Coomaraswamy, The Arts and Crafts on India and Ceylon, T N Foulis, London 1913\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA K Coomaraswamy, Medieval Sinhalese Art, Literary Licencing LLC 2011\u003c\/p\u003e"}