PROPERTY FROM THE NOBLE SILVER COLLECTION A SILVER OFFERING BOWL WITH SCENES FROM THE VIDHURA-PANDITA JATAKABURMA (MYANMAR), CIRCA 1918 Inscribed underneath with the patron's name, "U Po Ni". 6 3/4 in. (17 cm) high; 13 3/8 in. (34 cm) diameter; 61 troy oz (1,893 grams) approximate weight In the Vidhura-Pandita Jataka , the bodhisattva that will later be Gautama Buddha perfects the virtue of truthfulness ( sacca ), at once a keen perception of the true reality of things and an unwaveringmitment to imparting this truth. Reborn as a renowned advisor to a virtuous king, the bodhisattva uses undivided speech throughout the story—even when it puts him in harm's way—thereby preventing disputes among rulers, offering amnesty, and ultimately saving the antagonists who initially conspired to kill him. The silversmith has created an intricate panoramic narrative of the jataka's key plot moments. Punctuated by large trees, scenes include the dice game through which Punnaka (the jataka's chief antagonist) wins custody of the bodhisattva, Punnaka's attempt to kill the bodhisattva, and his subsequent conversion. The storyes to a resolution when the bodhisattva teaches the Dharma to the Naga people, and Punnaka is rewarded with the hand of the Naga princess. The horizontal bands framing the main narrative feature large acanthus leaves and ogre masks that likely represent Punnaka. Aided by the clear rendering of architectural backdrops and a dynamicpositional flow, the bowl is an excellent example of how Burmese silver offering bowls served didactic purposes for lay Buddhists, while also functioning as vessels for generating karmic merit with donations. The inclusion of an audience to each scene is amon pictorial device in Buddhist art, which happens to be faithful to the literary format of the jatakas as a set of recollections told by Buddha to his followers. The bowl's bustlingposition and figural depictions are very similar to those on an offering bowl with scenes of the Ramayana , also in the Noble Silver Collection, which is dated by inscription to 1918 (Owens, Burmese Silver Art , p.79, no.S106, fig.3.62). Published: David Owens, Burmese Silver Art: Masterpieces Illuminating Buddhist, Hindu and Mythological Stories of Purpose and Wisdom , 2020,pp.160-5, no.S126, figs. 4.80-8.