Antique 18th Century Burmese Silver Bowl W. Lid Repousse Family Scenes...

Description

Antique late 18th century Burmese solid silver repousse round bowl with lid. The letter R topped with the crown is dating it to 1780. I could not identify the other two marks on the bowl. The bowl was acid tested for silver and shows a high 800+ purity, but not at the standard sterling (.925) purity level. Reading up on some silversmith history it says that the silversmiths in the old days will melt down the silver from broken or unwanted items in one big lot, and than they will craft their new designs from this silver. This bowl could also be considered an Anglo-Asian piece of art. The English were colonizing the south Asian continent and the influence of their culture can definitely be seen on this bowl. The lid of the bowl shows an Anglo-Saxon couple sitting together. Around the lid under the couple shows the man sitting in the field watching over his sheep, and next shows him arriving home and being greeted by his wife. On the bottom part of the bowl are four different scenes of the couple doing different things together and enjoying each others company. The bottom of the bowl is the repetition of one of the scenes from the side of the bowl. Surrounding the scenes is scrolling foliage, the rims of the bowl are finished in bead work. The workmanship is crisp and detailed, and simply outstanding. The inside of the bowl looks like it was gold washed. The bowl is approximately 3.25 inches in diameter and height, and weighs 163.8 grams. It has the same stamp on the outside top of the lid, as inside on the rim with a fleur-de-lis (?) and the R with a crown above it. There is also another mark that looks like the head of a man with a pipe in its mouth. (?)