Page 91 - Bonhams March 22 2022 Indian and Himalayan Art NYC

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A SILVER BOWL WITH SCENES FROM THE JATAKA TALES The figural quality and sense of movement displayed throughout
BY MSY BROS (MG. SHWE YON BROS), RANGOON (YANGON), this work by MSY Bros, the leading silversmiths of their time, is
DATED 1896 exceptional. Kinnaras are a class of wondrous celestial musicians, half-
Two inscriptions on the rim of the bowl: “Presented to the Officers, woman-half-bird, that feature prominently in mainland Southeast Asian
74th Fd. By. Royal Artillery, by Major G.P. Owen, R.A. Jany 1891-Decr Buddhist art and architecture. Here, the sons of Maung Shwe Yon
1896” and “Sold by them with authority of the C.O. Feb. 1950”. have taken considerable artistic license to cater to their foreign patrons
The bowl’s underside has the insignia of a seated deer used by Mg by juxtaposing scenes from two jatakas in which kinnaras feature
Shwe Yon Bros (formerly known as MSY Bros before c.1899). heavily: the Canda-Kinnara Jataka and the Takkariya Jataka. In the first,
4 7/8 in. (12.5 cm) high; 7 1/2 in. (19 cm) diameter; a king on a hunting excursion is joined by two female courtiers and
28 troy oz (873 grams) approximate weight another hunter, characters that are seemingly absent from the original
text. These idiosyncrasies are likely explained by the bowl’s creation
$10,000 - 15,000 as a souvenir showcasing an engaging subject from Burmese material
culture, rather than a typical ceremonial offering bowl conveying
Buddhist didactics to Burmese laity.

Published:
Owens, Burmese Silver Art, pp.143-5, no.S142, figs.4.33-8.

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