λ AN UNMARKED BRITISH COLONIAL BURMESE REPOUSSÉ... Lot 183

λ AN UNMARKED BRITISH COLONIAL BURMESE REPOUSSÉ SILVER COFFEE POT Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar), ca. 1900 - 1915 Of pyriform shape, resting on four sloping feet designed as lion paws surmounted by demonic masks, rising to a cylindrical neck, the hinged dome-like lid embellished with a detachable cast finial designed as a traditionally clad Burmese female dancer in a side bend stance, the sides featuring a cast handle with ivory insulators formed by a backward-bent female figure, possibly an apsara, wearing an ornate, tall headdress, and an upward-curved spout with a mythical Hintha duck head and a demon's mask on the bird's chest, the exterior profusely decorated with a variety of chased and repoussé figural and vegetal motifs comprising scenes from Burmese folklore, possibly inspired by the great Ramayana epic and the kidnapping of Rama's beloved, Sita, by the demonic King Ravana, mythical temple lions (chinthe) and deer amidst vegetation, interlocking vegetal trellis, acanthus sprays, and lush foliage, unmarked, 28cm high, 1428gr. For two similar examples attributed to Rangoon and dated between 1907 and 1913, please see the British Museum Collection (acc. no. 2002,1008.1) and Chiswick Auctions, 3 March 2022, lot 93. Despite minor variations, all these coffee pots seem to share the same design, form, and selected repertoire of standard decorative motifs, such as ogres, warriors, maidens, and Ramayana characters, typical of Burmese mythological story-telling. They also often bear dedicatory inscriptions in English, proving that they were mostly commissioned as colonial exotica wares for the export market and not for internal consumption. λ This item may require Export or CITES licences in order to leave the UK. It is the buyer's responsibility to find out and conform to the specific export requirements of their country and ensure that lots have the relevant licences before shipping.