PROPERTY FROM THE NOBLE SILVER COLLECTION A SILVER PIERCED OFFERING BOWL WITH SCENES FROM THE PYUSAWHTI LEGENDMIDDLE BURMA (MYANMAR), DATED 1918 The underside has an inscription, translated, "1280 [1918 CE]. Mr Pho Saung's silver bowl". 4 3/4 in. (12 cm) high; 7 7/8 in. (20 cm) diameter; 19 1/2 troy oz (614 grams) approximate weight Pyusawhti is a legendary king of Pagan, who according to Burmese chronicles, reigned from 167 to 242 CE. Prior to 1832, Burmese chronicles claimed that Pyusawhti was a descendant of a solar spirit and a dragon princess, who founded Pagan and with it the Burmese monarchy. In 1832, the Royal Chronicle of the Konbaung Dynasty, recontextualized Burma's monarchy and Pyusawhti within the Buddhist tradition. A Sakya prince is said to have founded Burma's first kingdom by establishing the alternative Pyu city-state of Taguang, which had Pyusawhti as one of its scions. The engraved narratives depicted around this bowl recount the Konbaung version of the legend, depicting Pyusawhti saving the newly founded city of Pagan from a giant bird, which was the most fearsome of four savage monsters threatening its inhabitants. In thanks, the Pagan king Thamoddarit gave his daughter in marriage and made Pyusawhti his heir-apparent. When Thamoddarit died in 152/153 CE, Pyusawhti instead piously gave the throne to his tutor Yathekyaung who ruled for another 15 years. Pyusawhti ascended the throne in 167/168 CE after Yathekyaung died. Burmese Silver Ceremonial Offering Bowls Produced in great numbers, the finely decorated ceremonial offering bowl is the quintessential Burmese silver artwork. Its simple geometry follows the shape of traditional alms bowls carried by Buddhist monks. Its function in the home was versatile – the offering bowl served as a vessel for temple offerings; as a storyboard for teaching and reinforcing ethical values and spiritual wisdom; as a display of wealth and status; and to simply please the senses when filled with tropic flowers. However, in contrast to Burmese silver made for Europeans, who were accustomed to hallmarks, most of the silver made for native residents went unsigned, as such a mark would quite likely have been interpreted as a distasteful display of vanity. Instead, it was the owner's name that would be inscribed, for pragmatic religious reasons. In Theravada Buddhism, the offerings made to monasteries, temples, and shrines generate karmic merit for the donor, and the monetary value of the container used was in part proportionate to the amount of merit earned. Additionally, a highly valuable silver bowl would be lent tomunity relatives and friends to make offerings themselves, which would generate merit for both the borrower and the owner of the bowl. Therefore, Burmese silver offering bowls were prized and shared, then returned to their rightful owners whose names were inscribed underneath. Published: David Owens, Burmese Silver Art: Masterpieces Illu