Title
Tray
Year/Period
1970s
Region
Yangon, Burma
Object Type
Dimension
Object size: H6 x L30 x W6
Accession No.
1992-01348
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of Madam Mya Myitzu
This planter is embellished with gold-leaf designs, known as shwei-zawa. The technique of gold-leaf gilding probably came from Thailand. The craftsman paints the areas that are to remain black with a chemical solution. A thin layer of lacquer is then applied followed by a layer of gold-leaf. After drying, the excess gold-leaf is washed away together with the chemical solution to reveal the gold-leaf patterns against the dark background. Such gilded lacquerware were reserved for royalty and monasteries in pre-colonial times.
