Featured Silver Bowl With Serpent Handle

This is a small bowl, about 3 inches across and 2 inches tall. It is not marked. I have tested it as well as I can without cutting into it, and it tests as silver. The interior does not have a gilt finish, even though it looks that way in the photos.
Any thoughts as to origin, age, and purpose?
The undulations in the serpent hold a pen, but seems odd to be used for that.
Thanks!

 

Anglo Indian. @Any Jewelry , agree?

 

No, sorry, Thailand, possibly Laos, with that type of Naga. A slight possibility it is Cambodia. @kyratango ?

Thai Naga:


Laotian Naga:

 

Feel it Thaï too! Sorry AJ, not used to see Cambodian Nagas
Nice and unusual piece!

 

Thank you all. I have been doing some searching using naga, and have not seen anything like a bowl with a handle. Do you think it has a specific purpose, or is a bowl just a bowl?

 

You should get out more. With Cambodian Nagas, I usually think about the Khmer type, like in Angkor Wat. Those are the multi-headed type, but maybe Naga are different near the Thai and Laotian borders.

 

A crazy thought...You said the handle holds a pen, I wonder if it was meant to hold a brush?

Maybe not, just thought I would put it put there

 

I also wondered if it was a brush holder, but I searched and saw no brush holders made out of any material with anything like this design.

 

I can't imagine there would be any interest in brush holders in Thailand, since they don't have a brush-calligraphy tradition.
Maybe among the Chinese community, but they would use Chinese brush holders.

 

Agreed.