Antique Indian Temple Bell Bowl Cast Solid Sterling Silver Wine Bucket Raj Art

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Antique Indian Temple Bell Bowl Cast Solid Sterling Silver Wine Bucket Raj Art:
$2515.70

An extremely rare and fine antique Buddhist / Hindu Dashavatara temple bowl or bell, said to have been bought in Burma about the time of Lord Dufferin.Thought to be C18th but maybe earlier in manufacture. It is not hallmarked or signed as is common for this age of Asian art.

It has been used in my family as a Champagne and wine cooler, and comfortably fits two bottles. It rings beautifully when held in one hand and tapped with the other which makes me think it may have been a bell, but large bowls like this were used to take offerings as the priest class were not allowed to own silver other than alter pieces.

It is very large and measures about 25cm in diameter, stands about 21cm high and weighs just over 1.707Kg (1,707g). It is very high-grade silver.

If you would like further images please email me via .

Cast in very high grade solid silver and chased (repoussé work) with images of swamy or Dashavatara – there are six embossed cartouches surrounded by scrolling foliage all depicting Dashavatara – or avatar of Vishnu, surrounded by fish, tortoise, snakes, boar (looks more like a rat), birds, flowers and palm leaves.

A few of the avatar depicted are:

Lord Hanuman or Mahavira, Bajrangbali, the bird headed Garuda, the four armed Avalokiteśvara or Vishnu and a cat headed swamy with a cats head, Narasimha. Lord Hanuman (/ˈhʌnʊˌmɑːn, ˈhɑːnʊ-, ˌhʌnʊˈmɑːn, ˌhɑːnʊ-/; Hanumān in IAST),[1] also known as Mahavira, Bajrangbali, is a Hindu god and an ardent devotee of the god Rama. He is one of the central figures in the Hindu epic Ramayana and its various versions. As one of the Chiranjivi he is also mentioned in several other texts, including Mahabharata, the various Puranas and some Jain texts. Vanara (monkey), Lord Hanuman participated in Rama\'s war against the demon king Ravana. Several texts also present him as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. He is the son of Anjana and Kesari, and is also described as the son of the wind-god Vayu, who according to several stories, played a role in his birth.

The Garuda is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Garuda is the mount (vahana) of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, \"Lord who looks down\", Tibetan: Wylie: spyan ras gzigs, THL: Chenrézik) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. This bodhisattva is variably depicted and described and is portrayed in different cultures as either female or male.[1] In Chinese Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara has become the somewhat different female figure Guanyin. In Cambodia, he appears as Lokeśvara. Vishnu (Sanskrit pronunciation: [vɪʂɳu]; Sanskrit: विष्णु, Viṣṇu) is one of the most significant deities in Hinduism. He is the Supreme God Svayam Bhagavan of Vaishnavism (one of the principal denominations of Hinduism).[1] He is also known as Narayana and Hari. As one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition,[1] he is conceived as \"the Preserver or the Protector\". Narasimha (Sanskrit: नरसिंह IAST: Narasiṁha, lit. man-lion), Narasingh, Narsingh and Narasingha and Narasimhar in derivative languages is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu and one of Hinduism\'s most popular deities, as evidenced in early epics, iconography, and temple and festival worship for over a millennium.[1] Narasiṁha is often visualised as having a human-like torso and lower body, with a lion-like face and claws.[2] This image is widely worshipped in deity form by a significant number of Vaiṣṇava groups. Vishnu assumed this form on top of Himvat mountain (Harivamsa). He is known primarily as the \'Great Protector\' who specifically defends and protects his devotees in times of need.[3] Vishnu is believed to have taken the avatar to destroy the demon king Hiranyakashipu. Dashavatara (Sanskrit: दशावतार, daśāvatāra) refers to the ten avatars of Vishnu, the Hindu god of preservation. Vishnu is said to descend in form of an avatar to restore cosmic order. The list of Dashavatara varies across sects and regions. The standard list is: (Vishnu),Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna and Kalki. Sometimes, Krishna replaces Vishnu as the source of all avatars and Balarama takes Krishna\'s place in the list. In other versions, Buddha may be dropped from the list and substituted by regional deities like Vithoba or Jagannath, or Balarama.

(Thanks to Wiki for the information)

Any questions please ask. Please note that the wine in the images is not included.