Burmese Lacquerware – An Ancient Art
Those who plan to take holidays in Burma can look forward to a world of wonders €" lively cities with golden pagodas, lush mountain highlands with sleepy old towns, plains spread with ancient ruins, and a myriad of peoples and ways of life. As well as being a country of great natural beauty, Burma is home to long traditions of visual arts and handicrafts, and many visitors choose to take a distinctly Burmese product home to remind them of their stay €" a favourite souvenir being lacquerware. Certainly one of the country's most attractive crafts, lacquer is also one of its most interesting, and learning a little bit about its development and production can help visitors to appreciate the historical significance of local arts. If you are thinking of taking holidays in Burma and want to know more about this ancient technique, read on.
History
Not everyone browsing lacquer objects in the markets during their holidays in Burma may be aware how long a legacy this craft has. The complex techniques still used in lacquer production today were developed in China during the Shang Dynasty, between 1600 and 1046 BCE, but earlier, simpler examples of lacquerware have been found dating as far back as 5000 BCE, making it a truly ancient art form. With widespread trade and cultural exchange between China and the countries of Southeast Asia, lacquer techniques spread across the region and each country developed its own distinct version of the art. Lacquer is thought to have reached Burma during the Bagan era, under the influence of craftsmen from China and northern Thailand.
Technique
A lacquer box, bowl or tray starts with strips of bamboo which are woven or coiled into the required shape, which is then covered with many thin layers of substances called thitsee and thayo €" made from the sap of the Thitsee tree €" to make a smooth, hard surface. The final layer is given a coloured polish of red or black, and decorated with yellow, green or red €" or, for the form known as shwezawa, gold leaf. If you have the opportunity to visit a lacquer workshop during your holidays in Burma you will be able to see parts of this process for yourself.
Products
There are a number of different forms that traditional Burmese lacquerware can take, including items that serve the full spectrum of daily life and culture: stemmed rice bowls made for monks, compartmented dishes with lid for serving pickled tea, water carafes, tiffin boxes, betel boxes, items of furniture, boxes for Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, musical instruments, and traditional dance-drama masks €" to name just some. Lacquer is also used to decorate carved sculptures of important figures in history, religion and folklore, such as the Buddha or the 37 Nats.
History
Not everyone browsing lacquer objects in the markets during their holidays in Burma may be aware how long a legacy this craft has. The complex techniques still used in lacquer production today were developed in China during the Shang Dynasty, between 1600 and 1046 BCE, but earlier, simpler examples of lacquerware have been found dating as far back as 5000 BCE, making it a truly ancient art form. With widespread trade and cultural exchange between China and the countries of Southeast Asia, lacquer techniques spread across the region and each country developed its own distinct version of the art. Lacquer is thought to have reached Burma during the Bagan era, under the influence of craftsmen from China and northern Thailand.
Technique
A lacquer box, bowl or tray starts with strips of bamboo which are woven or coiled into the required shape, which is then covered with many thin layers of substances called thitsee and thayo €" made from the sap of the Thitsee tree €" to make a smooth, hard surface. The final layer is given a coloured polish of red or black, and decorated with yellow, green or red €" or, for the form known as shwezawa, gold leaf. If you have the opportunity to visit a lacquer workshop during your holidays in Burma you will be able to see parts of this process for yourself.
Products
There are a number of different forms that traditional Burmese lacquerware can take, including items that serve the full spectrum of daily life and culture: stemmed rice bowls made for monks, compartmented dishes with lid for serving pickled tea, water carafes, tiffin boxes, betel boxes, items of furniture, boxes for Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, musical instruments, and traditional dance-drama masks €" to name just some. Lacquer is also used to decorate carved sculptures of important figures in history, religion and folklore, such as the Buddha or the 37 Nats.
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