{"id":4462274412634,"title":"A Pair, Antique Burmese Silver Sweetmeat Dishes - Circa 1870","handle":"pair-of-antique-burmese-silver-sweetmeat-dishes","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese delightful Burmese silver sweetmeat dishes are of the highest quality and exhibit superb craftsmanship. They would have been made for the European colonial market and combine traditional Burmese ornamentation with a form derived from the European classical revival movement.  Of oval shape, each dish is supported on a plain silver pedestal foot with a striking Grecian style rolled handle to the top, which was derived from Grecian revival furniture, popular in Britain during the first half of the nineteenth century. The exterior of the handle has been finely incised, suggesting bark and there are growth rings at the ends, suggesting a trunk of teak wood from the Burmese forest, which was one of Burma’s most important natural resources and principal exports. The bowls have been ornamented using repousse, chasing, and engraving techniques.  The dishes have an unusual deckled edge to the top rim of the bowls which is a masterpiece of fine hand cutting.  This edge forms the top of a double row border of upright leaves, probably acanthus, which lies above the principal scenes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow the leaf border is a succession of architectural arches with a figure in traditional Burmese dress crouching underneath each archway. These architectural arches and the chased foliate ‘wallpaper’ which surrounds each figure are both features of silver made in Rangoon.  Below the figures is a carpet of stylised flower heads. Most niches contain one figure; the figures have been well drawn and are anatomically correct with their clothing highly detailed.  Each figure assumes a natural pose; some figures are chatting to their neighbours as they rest and gesturing with their hands. Many are carrying things from their daily life; one has a basket on their back, a woman holds a covered bowl, another has a cushion. Some of the men have tools or weapons, one has a rice flail, another a hammer. Some of the figures are mythical, one is an ogre or demon.  There is a depiction of a peacock in full display, representing the Kombaung royal house.  One scene shows a youth with an umbrella, which indicates his royal or high born status. He is shyly holding the hand of the girl under the neighbouring arch.  Another scene shows a man and ogre wrestling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dishes have both been ‘signed’ to the undersides of their bases with a finely rendered peacock pictorial.  The engraving is naturalistic, the peacock perches in the bough of a tree with his head turned and looking upwards. His magnificent tail drapes downwards showing four rows of eye feathers and he is surrounded by a floral bower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany Burmese silver makers used a peacock pictorial, with each maker’s pictorial different from those used by other makers. The name of this maker is not known. The peacock was the official emblem of the Konbaung kings; their monarchs wore peacock insignia on their robes and famously sat atop the Peacock Throne until their rule was toppled by British colonialists. The use of the peacock symbol increased during the British colonial period, when it became a loyalist and anti-colonial symbol and the peacock is still used today in Burma as a potent national symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance:- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eUK Antiques Trade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions:- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eHeight 8.5cms; Width 8cms; Length 15cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCombined Weight:- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e542 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Colonial and Indian Exhibition 1886, Official Catalogue, page 64, William Clowes and Sons Limited, London London, 1886\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarry L. Tilly, The Silverwork of Burma by with photographs by P Klier, Rangoon 1902\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarry L. Tilly, Modern Burmese Silverwork, Superintendent, Government Printing, Rangoon, Burma; 1st edition (1904)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWynyard R T Wilkinson, Indian Silver 1858-1947: Decorative Silver from the Indian Sub-Continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms, W Wilkinson \u0026amp; Indar Pashrical Fine Arts, London 1997\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWynyard R T Wilkinson, Mary-Louise Wilkinson and Barbara Harding, Burmese Silver from the Colonial Period, Arts of Asia, May-June 2013\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2019-12-13T00:46:20+00:00","created_at":"2019-12-13T00:49:43+00:00","vendor":"Joseph Cohen Antiques","type":"Sweetmeat Dish","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":31593069740122,"title":"Default Title","option1":"Default 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Antique Burmese Silver Sweetmeat Dishes Circa 1870","id":10998951149718,"position":13,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1200,"width":1200,"src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Fine-Hand-Cut-Rim-To-Antique-Burmese-Silver-Sweetmeat-Dishes-Circa-1870.jpg?v=1599099667"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1200,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Fine-Hand-Cut-Rim-To-Antique-Burmese-Silver-Sweetmeat-Dishes-Circa-1870.jpg?v=1599099667","width":1200},{"alt":"Front View Of Antique Burmese Silver Sweetmeat Dishes Circa 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Silverware","id":10998951215254,"position":15,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1200,"width":1200,"src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Magnificent-Peacock-Displaying-Tail-Burmese-Silverware.jpg?v=1599099667"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":1200,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/www.josephcohenantiques.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Magnificent-Peacock-Displaying-Tail-Burmese-Silverware.jpg?v=1599099667","width":1200}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003eThese delightful Burmese silver sweetmeat dishes are of the highest quality and exhibit superb craftsmanship. They would have been made for the European colonial market and combine traditional Burmese ornamentation with a form derived from the European classical revival movement.  Of oval shape, each dish is supported on a plain silver pedestal foot with a striking Grecian style rolled handle to the top, which was derived from Grecian revival furniture, popular in Britain during the first half of the nineteenth century. The exterior of the handle has been finely incised, suggesting bark and there are growth rings at the ends, suggesting a trunk of teak wood from the Burmese forest, which was one of Burma’s most important natural resources and principal exports. The bowls have been ornamented using repousse, chasing, and engraving techniques.  The dishes have an unusual deckled edge to the top rim of the bowls which is a masterpiece of fine hand cutting.  This edge forms the top of a double row border of upright leaves, probably acanthus, which lies above the principal scenes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow the leaf border is a succession of architectural arches with a figure in traditional Burmese dress crouching underneath each archway. These architectural arches and the chased foliate ‘wallpaper’ which surrounds each figure are both features of silver made in Rangoon.  Below the figures is a carpet of stylised flower heads. Most niches contain one figure; the figures have been well drawn and are anatomically correct with their clothing highly detailed.  Each figure assumes a natural pose; some figures are chatting to their neighbours as they rest and gesturing with their hands. Many are carrying things from their daily life; one has a basket on their back, a woman holds a covered bowl, another has a cushion. Some of the men have tools or weapons, one has a rice flail, another a hammer. Some of the figures are mythical, one is an ogre or demon.  There is a depiction of a peacock in full display, representing the Kombaung royal house.  One scene shows a youth with an umbrella, which indicates his royal or high born status. He is shyly holding the hand of the girl under the neighbouring arch.  Another scene shows a man and ogre wrestling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dishes have both been ‘signed’ to the undersides of their bases with a finely rendered peacock pictorial.  The engraving is naturalistic, the peacock perches in the bough of a tree with his head turned and looking upwards. His magnificent tail drapes downwards showing four rows of eye feathers and he is surrounded by a floral bower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany Burmese silver makers used a peacock pictorial, with each maker’s pictorial different from those used by other makers. The name of this maker is not known. The peacock was the official emblem of the Konbaung kings; their monarchs wore peacock insignia on their robes and famously sat atop the Peacock Throne until their rule was toppled by British colonialists. The use of the peacock symbol increased during the British colonial period, when it became a loyalist and anti-colonial symbol and the peacock is still used today in Burma as a potent national symbol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProvenance:- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eUK Antiques Trade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDimensions:- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eHeight 8.5cms; Width 8cms; Length 15cms\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCombined Weight:- \u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e542 grammes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferences:-\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Colonial and Indian Exhibition 1886, Official Catalogue, page 64, William Clowes and Sons Limited, London London, 1886\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarry L. Tilly, The Silverwork of Burma by with photographs by P Klier, Rangoon 1902\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarry L. Tilly, Modern Burmese Silverwork, Superintendent, Government Printing, Rangoon, Burma; 1st edition (1904)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWynyard R T Wilkinson, Indian Silver 1858-1947: Decorative Silver from the Indian Sub-Continent and Burma Made by Local Craftsmen in Western Forms, W Wilkinson \u0026amp; Indar Pashrical Fine Arts, London 1997\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWynyard R T Wilkinson, Mary-Louise Wilkinson and Barbara Harding, Burmese Silver from the Colonial Period, Arts of Asia, May-June 2013\u003c\/p\u003e"}