Burmese - Bagan Granite Bowl - 8 cm - Cult bowl Bagan

Extremely rare cult bowl
Bagan, 9th century - 13th century
Myanmar
Granite
8 cm x 17 cm diameter

This granite bowl comes from the Pagan archaeological site, the ancient capital of the Burmese kingdom between the 9th and 14th centuries. Although the majority of artifacts from this period are terracotta or bronze, a few rare utilitarian stone objects testify to an older lithic know‑how inherited from monastic and funerary traditions.

Carved from a block of coarse‑grained gray stone, the bowl has a simple, balanced form, with a slightly flared body and a softened lip. The interior, carefully dug and polished, reveals the circular marks of the abrasive tool used to hollow it out. The exterior surface retains a slightly smooth feel, worn by time and handling.

Due to its exceptional material, this vessel likely had a ceremonial or votive function rather than a domestic one. It could have served as an offering bowl or as a vessel for consecrated water in a Buddhist monastery. The choice of granite, a symbol of durability and purity, evokes the desire to create a lasting object capable of enduring through the centuries.

The regular wear on the lip and the patina of a gray‑ochre hue attest to prolonged use and long burial. This extremely rare type of object illustrates the variety of utilitarian and ritual productions in ancient Pagan, beyond the more common materials of terracotta and bronze.

Condition: small chips on the rim, cracks, surface worn by use, natural old patina.
4 small foam pads under the base as a small support.

Provenance: Kanaka The Collection

Shipped with UPS and insured