Burmese Lacquerware

Lacquer is the sap tapped from the varnish tree Thitsee that grows wild in the forests of Myanmar. It is straw-colored but turns black on exposure to air. When brushed in or coated on, it forms a hard glossy smooth surface resistant to heat.

Lacquer vessels, boxes and trays have a coiled or woven Bamboo strip base often mixed with horsehair, and the thitsee may be mixed with ashes or sawdust to form a putty-like substance called thayo which can be sculpted.

The object is coated with thitsee and thayo layers to make a smooth surface, polished and engraved with intricate designs, commonly using red, green and yellow colors on a red or black background. 

Shwezawa is a distinctive form in its use of gold leaf to fill in the designs on a black background.

Palace scenes, scenes from the Jataka tales, and the signs of the Burmese Zodiac are popular designs and some vessels may be encrusted with glass mosaic or semi-precious stones in gold relief. 

The objects are all handmade and the designs and engraving done free-hand. It may take three to four months to finish a small vessel but perhaps over a year for a larger piece.

The finished product is a result of teamwork and not crafted by a single person.

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