This large, wooden presentation tray known as a 'kalat' is lacquered with red and black geometric patterns. The top of the tray has painted black designs arranged concentrically on a red background. The underside of the tray is black in colour.Kalat were used to present ceremonial gifts to royalty and copies of Buddhist scriptures to monks. They were designed to serve food communally and would be placed on the floor for diners to gather around. A domed cover was used to keep the food fresh. Lacquer (or ‘thitsi’) was sourced from the Thitsi tree, which is found in Myanmar and the wider region, while natural ingredients were used to produce the colours such as cinnabar for red, orpiment for yellow and orpiment, indigo for green, and cinnabar and iron oxide to make black.
