We recently returned from a trip to Burma and visited the markets and antique shops of Yangon. Predictably, we found that the availability of genuine antiques has diminished significantly since our last visit. Long gone are the days of seeing tables and shelves filled with exotic offerings from Burma’s past including opium weights, bronze bells, lacquerware, Nat spirit statues, architectural pieces, Buddhist art and various other fascinating objet d’art.
We did manage to bring back a small collection of artifacts including a particularly charming Nat spirit wooden statue, well known to the Burmese as Mei Wunna, the flower-eating ogress of Mount Popa, along with a few antique bronze bells, a beautifully decorated antique lacquerware kun-it, a rare antique tattoo pen and a small collection of the much sought after handmade Chin textiles, including a very rare antique heirloom piece.
Featured below is a collection of images from Yangon as well as the various artifacts from Burma that are currently available in the gallery. If you find any items that pique your interest please email us at info@sabaidesignsgallery.com
The diversity and beauty of Burmese arts, crafts and architecture was immediately apparent to early visitors of this ethnically rich region, and today, as the doors of tourism open wider, more people are discovering the wonderful artistic traditions of Burma which began over 2,000 years ago.
Shwedagon Pagoda by Night in Yangon, Burma
Distinctive works of art to be found in Burma include remarkable feats of architecture (notably the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda and the temples of Bagan), bronze work, wood carving, lacquerware, jewellery, ceramics, and textiles. These artistic traditions are largely the legacy of two great influences. Firstly, there are 135 officially recognized ethnic groups in Burma, divided into eight main groups, each with their own unique culture, customs and artistic traditions. Secondly, over the centuries, animism and Buddhism have provided a major source of inspiration for artisans. Evidence of this is apparent at every turn in Burma, from pagodas, images of the Buddha in wood and bronze to Nat spirit sculptures believed to act as guardians and which fulfill an important role in the ‘supernatural’ aspect of life for the peoples of Burma.
Pagodas of Bagan in Rainy Season
Temple at Inle Lake
Burmese art forms are often highly imaginative and robust, with an emphasis on surface decoration. Unlike the perception of art in the west, the Burmese make no distinctions between so called ‘fine arts’ such as painting and sculpture and ‘applied arts’ such as the making of lacquerware, bronze bells and wood carvings. Objects of beauty were made for the purpose of furnishing Buddhist temples, royal courts as well as providing common people with well crafted, attractive objects for everyday use. Objet d’art includes highly decorated lacquered bamboo containers used for storing food, bronze zoomorphic weights once used in the market place, bronze bells worn by livestock, and even skillfully carved images made to adorn the facade of simple ox carts. The use of gold and precious stones was generally reserved for works of art found in temples and the royal court.
Featured below and now available in the gallery are some of the artifacts from Burma referred to above. We’ve also included a few photos of these artifacts in a home décor setting and additional Asian home décor photographs can be viewed in the Photo Gallery.
Burmese Antiques: Shan Pipe, Opium Weight, Buffalo Bell
We recently supplied a selection of tribal textiles from the Naga living in north-west Burma for an upcoming exhibition at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City and have since added several excellent new examples of Naga weaving resplendent with ancient tribal motifs.