Bowl; Coombes Company of Rangoon, Burma, 1890.

Bowl; COOMBES COMPANY OF RANGOON; Burma, 1890.
Silver.
Bears hallmarks.
Measurements: 12 x 21 x 21 cm.
Weight: 696 g.
Silver bowl made for the prestigious Coombes Company, established in colonial Rangoon in the late 19th century. The piece features lavish figurative decoration arranged in panels, with scenes inspired by the life of Buddha and Burmese narrative and mythological traditions. Executed using the high-relief embossing technique, the figures take on volume and depth, revealing the skill of local silversmiths and the richness of Burmese silversmithing of the period. Its shape evokes traditional Buddhist alms bowls, known as parikkharas, reinterpreted here for an essentially ornamental purpose.
Coombes Company, also known as Coombes & Co., was a renowned trading house dealing in luxury goods and curiosities located in colonial Rangoon, near the famous Strand Hotel. Its business involved selecting and marketing objects crafted by local artisans, intended largely for the Western and colonial markets. This context transformed Burmese silverware into a refined vehicle for cultural exchange.