A SILVER TREASURE BOX WITH THE KONGBAUNG ROYAL FAMILYBURMA (MYANMAR), CIRCA 1910 9 in. (23 cm) long; 35 1/2 troy oz (1,100 grams) approximate weight When the British exiled the last ruler of the Kongbaung dynasty, King Thibaw, in 1885, they forever abolished sumptuary laws that had restricted the possession of silver to royalty and high nobility. However, the precious metal still maintained elite connotations, perhaps most explicit in the nostalgic depiction of Thibaw and his family, reminding Burmese of their royal heritage and former sovereign independence. Rectangular silver containers were used in wealthy Burmese homes to store valuables such as jewelry, cigars, and dried delicacies.pare the closely related figural treatment in several lime boxes in the Noble Silver Collection (Owens, Burmese Silver Art , 2020, pp.102 & 103, nos.S70 & S10, figs.3.110 & 3.117).